


Stark Trek

by flapdragon473



Series: Stark Trek [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-07-24
Packaged: 2018-03-20 04:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 50,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3637638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flapdragon473/pseuds/flapdragon473
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the daughter of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts decides to go to the Vulcan Science Academy, not even the Vulcan Ambassador himself can convince her to back down. Follow Rosalina as she traverses life on Vulcan, the Stark household, and plays her part in the battle with Nero. Future spoilers for Star Trek 2009. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, readers! This is a repost of my first 'fic, but any pointers for improvement would be gladly received. This is a complete work, so I will update each week with 2 chapters while I'm working on the sequel. Thanks in advance for reading and reviewing!

After the battle of New York and the events in London, the Avengers made a deal with the US government. To join a top-secret, government funded think tank, pooling resources and expertise to build a fleet of vessels to protect the Earth from alien attack, using and improving alien technology. Tony Stark threw all his time and effort into the project; improving on and stabilising the arc reactor technology, developing weapons for the vacuum of space, and a JARVIS-like computer system able to logistically run large spaceships. The first ship was of Stark’s design, sent off with a skeleton crew, pursuing signals being transmitted from deep space.

 

Starfleet was born. First contact with Vulcan years later led to further improvements and vast knowledge of previously unexplored space. Collaborations with the Vulcan Science Academy brought unforeseen technological advancements to Earth, enabling the human race to travel further and faster than ever imagined. Having spent so much of his time on the project, Tony Stark took an extended vacation- to marry Pepper Potts and raise a family. On the eve of Starfleet’s fifth birthday, the Starks’ daughter arrived. Raised by the Avengers and surrounded by Vulcans working with her father, Rosalina Stark was never going to be anything but brilliant. She excelled academically, her parents withdrawing her from education at age 8 to be home schooled. Black Widow and Hawkeye were Aunt Natasha and Uncle Clint, teaching her all there was to know about weapons and combat. Uncle Steve taught history, Pepper allowing her daughter to assist with Stark Industries’ accounts. But Bruce was her favourite. Science fascinated her, and the young girl brought out Banner’s softer side. It was assumed by all who knew her, and indeed the general public, that she would enter the Starfleet Academy and become a Science officer.

 

However, a spanner was thrown into the proverbial works in the form of the S’chn T’gai family. Ambassador Sarek’s wife Amanda had been good friends with Pepper in high school and brought her son Spock for play-dates whenever they were on planet. Rosalina and Spock became fast friends, building various robots and miniature warp engines in Tony’s home workshop. When Spock’s studies started to keep him on Vulcan, the pair kept regular communication, discussing scientific theories and practicing for Rosalina’s self-imposed Xenolinguistics exams. Their mothers spoke about their blossoming friendship and their respective husbands’ long work hours. As the years went by and Starfleet enrolment date loomed, Rosalina threw herself into her studies, locked in her room for days on end, replicating coffee and high energy foods. As Pepper became increasingly worried, both her husband and JARVIS convinced her all was well. It was on a rainy Saturday in Malibu that the cause of her hermit-like behaviour was revealed.

 

Sat across the table from one another, both Tony and Pepper were equally surprised when their now 18 year old daughter walked into the room, Padd and replicated hamburger in hand, and sat down with them.

 

“So, how goes your latest project?” Tony chimed before taking a mouthful of fries from the bowl in front of him.

 

“Excellent. Perfectly on schedule and to a better quality than either of us initially foresaw,” she replied bluntly.

 

Pepper looked to her husband suspiciously. “Us? I thought you didn’t know anything about it, Tony?”

 

“I don’t love. I assume you mean Spock, Rose?”

 

“Indeed.” Lifting her eyes from the Padd, she continued. “As you named me Rosalina, would you possibly struggle all the way to the end? It would be greatly appreciated.”

 

Tony looked to his wife, then his daughter, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me?”

 

“I meant no offence, father. I was merely stating my preference that you refer to me not by a nickname, but the one assigned to me at birth,” Rosalina replied calmly. “I came down as I require your signatures for my university application.”

 

“I thought you already got an acceptance from MIT sweetheart? Your father has been talking to the dean about you doing two degrees…”

 

“I do not intend to go there, mother. My preference is to attend the Vulcan Science Academy. Spock has agreed to aid me in the application process, and the ambassador is pulling some strings for me.” Adopting a serious look, she stood to leave.

 

Having shocked both her parents into silence- a feat in itself, Rosalina allowed herself a small smile as she turned to face the stairs. Another call with Spock had been scheduled for 1800 hours, and she had to read through her cover letter again. Anything other than perfection would be unacceptable. She did not intend to fail.


	2. Chapter 2

An afternoon in the gym with her Aunt Natasha was the perfect way to unwind. The Vulcans she would hopefully soon live with were famed for their superior strength, and if there was anything Rosalina hated, it was the feeling of inferiority. After telling Natasha of her plans to attend the Vulcan Science Academy at the beginning of the session, the spy had been suspiciously quiet. “Obviously processing the information and formulating a suitable response” Rosalina thought, dodging a punch and aiming a roundhouse kick at the other woman’s head. After another ten minutes of gruelling hand-to-hand combat, Natasha called time out and the two went to get a drink. Sipping on their water, Rosalina could sense Natasha preparing to speak.

 

“What made you change your mind? About Starfleet?” she finally asked, turning to the stern-faced teen beside her.

 

“I felt I would be more academically challenged on Vulcan.”

 

Natasha laughed. “Of course. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that nobody else has ever managed it.”

 

Thinking on her response, Rosalina fought to keep her face neutral. “I will admit that ‘first human to be accepted into the VSA’ does have a nice ring to it…”

 

“See! You’re just like your father. Determination coming out of your ears, the pair of you. It must be genetic.”

 

“It isn’t just that nobody else has done it before. I’d go mad if I was the top of my class with no effort.” She heard a quiet snort from her left. “I know how narcissistic that sounds, but it’s true. I would be. MIT, Starfleet, or otherwise. At least on Vulcan I would have something to prove. Show them not all humans are stupid. That some of us are just as clever as them - and who knows, maybe even more so.”

 

Shame for the emotion shown in her outburst suddenly fell on her like a bucket of freezing water. “It would also give me an opportunity to observe Vulcan culture and expand on my scientific knowledge in ways that Earth’s laws do not allow.” Much better.

 

“As long as you don’t go creating any super-soldier serum. One Steve Rogers is more than enough.”

 

“I unlocked the secret of Steve’s genetic code when I was twelve,” she scoffed. “I could have an entire army of Captain Americas by now.”

 

“Oh, I don’t even want to think about it. Have mercy on us all!” Natasha replied mockingly. “But seriously, don’t do anything crazy.”

 

“That entirely depends upon your view of ‘crazy’. Some people called father crazy for building his suits…”

 

“…Because he was...”

 

“…but look at him now. Tony Stark is not only one of the founders of Starfleet, but the owner of a multi-billion credit company with partners on all federation planets. So who’s laughing now?”

 

Natasha smiled, taking another swig of water. Leaning back against the wall, she turned her head to look at Rosalina.

 

“Just don’t rule out your other options just yet, okay? If anyone can get into the VSA it’s you, I truly believe that. But, as the Vulcans would say, it is logical to cultivate multiple options. On the off chance you don’t get accepted, you will need a back-up plan.”

 

“I understand. The challenges I have already faced in merely sending off my application have shown me how difficult it will be. But I don’t like easy. And everything Earth has to offer is, in my mind, too easy.”

 

The gym door squeaked open, revealing Clint Barton. Striding forwards with two sets of bows and arrows, he raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

 

“What’s this I hear? Earth not good enough for you anymore kid?”

 

“I am neither a child nor an infant goat…”

 

“Rosalina,” Clint interrupted. “I appreciate you have to practice the whole emotionless, logical thing, but you know what I mean.”

 

“Indeed. I apologise.”

 

“It’s fine. So, what’ve I missed?”

 

Natasha spoke before Rosalina had a chance to formulate a response. “She’s wanting to go to the VSA instead of Starfleet or MIT.”

 

“The what now?...”

 

“The Vulcan Science Academy, Clint.”

 

His eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. “You serious? Jeez kid; and I thought your Dad was crazy!”

 

“Barton…”

 

“Nat, I assume you’ve had your say, now I want mine.”

 

Turning to Rosalina, he put his free hand on his hip. “Oh great, here we go.” She knew a lecture was coming- an Agent Barton special. “There goes archery practice” she thought, readying herself for the onslaught.

 

“Look, I know you’re smart kid, but…”

 

“…I would appreciate it if you stopped calling…”

 

“Hear me out, alright? You’re smart, absurdly so. We thought your dad had messed with your DNA or something- I’m serious! Even Pepper convinced herself… Anyway, that’s not the point. You’re so used to being the best at everything that, even if you did get in- which I don’t doubt is a possibility- you’ll be average at best. Average intelligence, average strength, yada yada yada. Personally, I’m worried that mediocrity won’t suit you.”

 

Audibly sighing, she stood. She had heard enough. Snatching a bow and quiver from Barton, she pushed past him and headed to the archery range. She had already slipped with her confession to Natasha and couldn’t let her irritation get the better of her. Swinging the strap over her head, she started the simulation. She selected an arrow and fired without hesitation. Repeating the action until the quiver was empty, she awaited JARVIS’ tinny report.

 

_“Perfect as always, Miss Stark.”_

 

Nodding, she turned to see both Natasha and Clint at the window with concerned looks on their faces. “They don’t need to worry about me” she thought angrily, dropping the bow and picking up the set of throwing knives Natasha got her for her birthday. Turning back to them, she signalled for JARVIS to start another sequence. She continued to strike the projections until she hear the retreating footsteps of her mentors. Feeling her anger dissipate, she ended the simulation and collected the knives, placing them back in order. Hearing the soft whoosh of the lift, she exhaled sharply, steeling herself for the arrival of her parents. She was pleasantly surprised when it was Bruce Banner who walked nervously into the room.

 

“In here, Uncle Bruce,” she called, popping her head round the door. Walking out onto the soft practice mats, she noticed the stress in his face.

 

“Oh! I dint think you were still down here… I’ll go…” he said, turning to leave.

 

“It’s fine, Bruce. Honest.” Reaching to gently touch his arm, she continued. “I was just going to meditate, if you want to join me?”

 

He nodded, smiling softly as they sat cross legged on the floor. As they closed their eyes, JARVIS started playing calming music. Rosalina felt the light ache in her muscles, and set it aside. The buzzing of the air conditioning unit was pushed from her mind, and the feeling of her sore knuckles melted away. She recalled the first time her and Bruce had sat like this; silent, yet taking comfort in each other’s presence. Not long after, she had asked Spock to teach her how to meditate the Vulcan way. Suppressing all senses, focussing instead on her mind and emotions. It had originally been to assist Bruce and stop him from ‘Hulking out’ as her father so delicately put it. Recently she had found peace in the serenity of her own thought, filing away facts and equations for later use, remembering childhood memories of her father’s workshop, stargazing with Spock on Vulcan, experiments with Bruce…

 

_“Incoming call from Vulcan for you, Miss Stark.”_

 

“Not now JARVIS…”

 

_“The ambassador stated that the message is urgent.”_

 

Hearing Bruce stand, she opened her eyes. She smiled apologetically as he walked to the door. As it closed behind him, the image of Ambassador Sarek was projected onto the air before her. Raising her hand in the Ta’al, she greeted him.

 

“Miss Stark, the council has received your application, and by all accounts are most… impressed” he began. “You have an interview next month where your candidacy will be reviewed.”

 

Slightly stunned, she bowed her head to hide her shock. “I am gratified to hear so, Ambassador.”

 

“It has been arranged that you and Spock have your interviews on the same day to minimise any nervousness on your part,” he replied flatly. “I shall send a message with the precise date and time within the next two days, so you may arrange transport.”

 

With that, he was gone. Rosalina remained still for a few minutes, allowing the information to sink in. She had an interview at the Vulcan Science Academy. Next month. The council had been ‘quite impressed’ with her application. The pricking sensation in the corner of her eyes brought her back to reality. Hearing the door swing open, she turned to see her father and Bruce in the doorway. Her father’s face dropped when he saw her tears.

 

“Oh, sweetheart, are you okay?” Tony started towards her, preparing for a hug. “It’s alright, you’ll get into MIT no problem, and I’m fairly certain Starfleet would pay _you_ to go and study with them.”

 

Standing and closing the gap between them, she wrapped her arms around her father and smiling to Bruce. “Nothing wrong with a little dramatic effect,” she thought. She withdrew from the hug and wiped her eyes.

 

“It is far more than alright father,” the pricking sensation was back, but she fought the urge to weep. “They were impressed by my application and want me to go for an interview next month. Sarek’s sending me the date and time later.”

 

Tony’s face lit up and he span round to face Bruce, also grinning ear to ear. Clearly struggling for words, he ran to the stairs, screaming as he went.

 

“PEPPER! YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy April, everyone! I figured as I'm now on holiday for the next two weeks I'd update early. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

Sitting on the stone bench outside the Vulcan High Council chamber, Rosalina Stark could feel her nervousness rising. She was grateful for the presence of Lady Amanda with her, who was equally as anxious to find out how her son Spock fared in the gruelling interview. He had just walked through the large doors, an intricate pattern carved into them by ancient carpenters. The whole building, though conservative in design, was stunning. The columns reminded her of the old Terran cathedrals, giving off an air of silent authority. She could hear dull voices drifting from the room on the warm, dry air as she waited. Suddenly the doors burst open and out strode Spock, an aura of irritation hanging around him.

 

“Spock...” Lady Amanda stood, following after her son with an apologetic glance back, leaving her alone on the bench.

 

She could feel panic beginning to set in as she was told the council was ready to receive her. Standing slowly, she folded her arms into the sleeves of the robe she borrowed from Lady Amanda and walked behind her Vulcan guide with as much decorum and grace as she could muster. The great doors swung open, seemingly of their own accord, and the enormity of what was about to happen finally hit home. The next few minutes would seal her fate. In this room, with the Vulcan council seated high above her. Gulping, she stood straight and locked eyes with the greying Vulcan sat in the highest seat. “So he’s the ‘Orsak’ Sarek told me about…” At this angle, he was purposely very imposing, likely intending to put fear into those who entered. She had never felt so small in her life.

 

 _“Rosalina Stark”_ he began, his booming voice echoing through the room. _“The council has reviewed both your application and attached dissertation on the advantages and disadvantages of genetically engineering life forms with the intention of weaponisation- a most interesting subject matter. I trust you have good reason for doing so?”_

 

_“Indeed. Genetics has always fascinated me, minister. My close proximity to one Steve Rogers has allowed me to observe both the physical and emotional effects on the individuals, alongside the benefits of genetically engineered super soldiers.”_

 

_“Despite this, you are not applying for a place on the Genetics programme. Why is this?”_

_“It is my belief that my strengths lie in other areas…”_

_“Such as?”_

 

The sudden interruption threw her off. Glancing momentarily to the Ambassador, sat to Orsak’s left, she continued.

 

_“Engineering, minister. Specifically the mechanics of Warp Engines and the development of new, more efficient power sources.”_

 

Muttering something to the man to his right, Orsak rose from his seat.

 

 _“The council will adjourn and further consider your application. You will return tomorrow for a verdict.”_ The other Vulcans rose, Sarek hesitating for a fraction of a second. As they turned to leave, Orsak directed his steely gaze to her once again. _“Thank you for your time, Miss Stark.”_

 

 

Upon her return to the S’chn T’gai household, Rosalina could hear Lady Amanda and Spock having a heated argument. “Not argument, debate. Vulcans do not argue” she reminded herself, removing her shoes and changing into the house slippers provided.

 

Walking into the kitchen, she saw Spock sat in his home-made jumper at the counter, a glass of tea sat cooling in front of him.

 

“I just don’t understand why… Oh, Rosalina dear, how did it go?” Lady Amanda turned towards her. “Would you like some tea?”

 

“No thank you, Lady…”

 

“Just Amanda in this house, dear.”

 

“Of course… Amanda. The council is holding further discussions. I will have a decision in the morning- I assume the Ambassador will not be returning home.”

 

Turning finally to Spock, she observed a slight green tinge to the tips of his ears. Embarrassment, she assumed. Contemplating whether to ask or not, she decided to ask him later. Excusing herself, she retired to her room with the intention of calling her father. When she entered the guest suite, however, she could hear the Comm ringing. Rushing to the console, she saw it was her father and answered. Both her parents were on the screen.

 

Her mother spoke first, obviously anxious. “Hello! How did it go sweetie?”

 

“I will get a final verdict tomorrow. It is hard to tell how well I was received…”

 

“Naturally dear- Vulcans are hardly renowned for their ability to be easily read.”

 

“Have you gone out much, Rose? Met any nice Vulcan students to bring home?”

 

“No father,” she replied with a small smile. “And I do not believe I ever will.”

 

Hearing the muffled voices of the other Avengers, her face broke into a grin as they all gathered behind her parents, squashing together in an attempt to fit on camera.

 

“How goes it, kiddo?”

 

“I assume quite well, Uncle Clint, all things considered.”

 

“Good, good. They not told you yet, I guess?”

“No. Tomorrow.”

 

“In which case we will speak to you then,” Natasha interrupted. “I’m sure you have quite the day ahead of you. Get some rest.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

After some brief goodbyes, she ended the call. Going to the bed, she threw off the heavy robe and slipped under the cool cotton sheets. “A nap before dinner certainly wouldn’t hurt” she thought, her eyes growing heavy as she settled down.

 

 

Waking with a start, Rosalina swiped her Comm screen to look at the time. 0041. Sighing in exasperation, she crawled from under the covers and hurriedly dressed as her stomach growled. She had slept through dinner. ‘I’m sure Amanda won’t mind if I help myself to a little something…’ Walking into the darkened kitchen, she saw a silhouette hunched over the counter.

 

“Spock?” she whispered.

 

The shape turned to her, slowly moving forwards. It was indeed him- with a bowl of Plomeek soup. Rosalina’s mouth watered as the smell drifted towards her. Her stomach growled again.

 

“Shall I heat some for you?”

 

“Yes please.”

 

Spock stood, taking another bowl and heaping soup from the stasis unit into it. As it warmed, they stood in awkward silence. Handing the bowl to her, Spock motioned for her to sit with him. It was then that Rosalina remembered her unanswered question from earlier.

 

“What exactly happened at your interview?”

 

Even in the darkness, she could see his ears flush again. Gulping a mouthful of soup, he faced her sheepishly. Placing the spoon he was holding carefully into the bowl, he hesitated before turning his body to hers. Sitting in silence for a few more moments, Spock finally spoke, his gaze firmly on his hands.

 

“I declined my place at the VSA”

 

“WHA…?!” she realised she had shouted, lowering her voice before she continued. “Why did you do that?”

 

“Orsak stated that my human mother was a disadvantage- one that my instructors were surprised that I had overcome…”

Shuffling closer to him, Rosalina looked into his down turned eyes. She saw shame, with a twinkle of amusement. “And what did you say to that?”

 

“I informed them of my decision, then…”

 

“Then what?”

 

A suggestion of a smile played on his lips as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I bade them the usual farewell of ‘live long and prosper’, but with the inflection that one may use when using the phrase…” he paused for thought. “’Go to hell’, I suppose.”

 

Rosalina felt her jaw drop. Staring at Spock, her lips curled up into a smile as she began to laugh. His own face broke into a grin as she slapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Nice one, Spocko! My, my; I must have been a worse influence on you than first anticipated.”

 

Seeing the smile fall suddenly from his face, she span round to see Ambassador Sarek standing at the other end of the kitchen. ‘Damn, these Vulcans are quiet’ she thought as she stood up from her stool. With a shallow bow, she started towards the door.

 

“You may remain here, Miss Stark. I see you have not yet finished your soup.”

 

Sitting back down, a feeling of being unwanted flowed over her. In the silence of the dark kitchen, she was conscious of the sounds she made as she ate. She wanted to leave, the awkward atmosphere choking her. After finishing her soup, she placed the bowl into the sink, bowed to her hosts and walked to her room. Heading down the corridor, she heard the distant conversation start up. Slipping back into bed, she closed her eyes and drifted off once more.


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting on the stone bench once again, Rosalina found herself staring blankly at the wall. At breakfast, Sarek had hinted that an exchange in Vulcan would aid the Council in making a favourable ruling, so she ran through all the Vulcan vocabulary Spock had taught her. She was so deep in thought that she almost didn’t notice the aide calling her into the council chamber. With greater confidence than the day before, she walked into the great room. Orsak was talking to a minister further down the table.

 

_“I do not believe this human will be able to assimilate to Vulcan society. The students would not gladly resort to speaking in Standard when around her.”_

_“Such measures would be unnecessary, minister.”_ Registering the mild shock on their faces as they turned to her, she stepped closer and continued. _“Regular communications with S’chn T’gai Spohck have allowed practice with my pronunciation, and I am prepared to take extra tuition in Vulcan to further expand my vocabulary.”_

 

Muttering again to the man on his right, Orsak spoke. _“Will you require textbooks translated into Standard?”_

_“No minister- I often find that translations to not capture the true meaning of the original texts. As I plan to live on Vulcan, it is logical that I make efforts to adapt to my environment, as Vulcans have on Earth. Hence my preference to personal tutorship from native speakers. An understanding of the Vulcan language itself will invariably aid an understanding of the essence of Vulcan culture and individuals I come into contact with at the Academy.”_

 

Orsak seemed impressed by that. Standing suddenly, he indicated that the other ministers follow him. A worried glance at Sarek indicated that this was not expected from any of them. As they filed into the adjacent council chambers, Sarek stayed behind and looked down to her.

 

“Remain here- I expect that we shall return shortly.”

 

Now standing alone, Rosalina could truly appreciate the architecture. Turning slowly, she took in the rest of the room. The high-vaulted ceilings, the stone carvings on the council’s seating- the smooth marble-like tiles of the floor. Quintessentially Vulcan. Hearing the door opening, she span back round. As the council took their seats, she shifted from foot to foot, hoping the heavy skirts of her robe sufficiently hid her movements. This was it- their decision. She kept her head bowed respectfully, trying to keep her face neutral as she awaited their verdict.

 

“Rosalina Stark.”

 

She raised her head at the sound of Orsak’s voice. The nervousness of yesterday had returned.

 

_“The council has reached a decision; one which we hope will be acceptable for you.”_

 

Battling the sick feeling in her stomach, she held his gaze. ‘Just tell me, dammit’ she thought.

 

_“I, Orsak, head minister of the Vulcan Science Council, hereby accept your application. You will be sent a formal letter of acceptance within the next week. You are dismissed.”_

_“Thank you, ministers, for your consideration.”_ She raised her hand in the ta’al. _“Live long and prosper.”_ Turning to walk from the room, she fought the smile which threatened to break out on her face.

 

 

Seated at the table back at the house, the scent of Plomeek soup drifted to Rosalina. Lady Amanda entered the dining area, placing cups down on the table.

 

“I know this is your favourite dear, so I thought it would be nice for a little celebratory meal. Here, Spock- help me with the bowls.”

 

As Rosalina rose to lend her own assistance, Lady Amanda turned on her.

 

“No, you’re staying sat down. This has been a big morning for you, and you must tell us all about it.”

 

Just as she was about to begin her recollection of the day’s events, they heard the front door open. A few moments later, a somewhat disgruntled Sarek walked into the kitchen and took his place at the head of the table. He pulled out a Padd and started reading what she assumed was a report of some description.

 

“Sarek, no work at the table” Amanda called, earning an irritated flash across her husband’s face as he put it back into his pocket.

 

Turning to Rosalina, Sarek spoke in a hushed tone. “The parallels between your parting statement and Spock’s did not go unnoticed, Miss Stark. I admire your nerve.”

 

Before she had chance to respond, Spock and Amanda returned with bowls of soup. Finally, the meal began. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they ate, Amanda returning to the kitchen to bring in the rest of the soup. She insisted on Rosalina having the most, with protests from both Sarek and Spock.

 

“Rosalina has a three day journey back to Earth, during which time she will have to survive on replicator food. As she will not have time for a meal this evening, it is only logical that we provide her with sufficient nourishment to last her the night.” Amanda finished in a mocking tone, silencing her husband and son.

 

It was then Rosalina’s turn to speak, Amanda insisting on a full report on the morning’s events. When she mentioned the council adjourning mid-way through the meeting, Amanda’s look of confusion prompted an explanation from Sarek.

 

“The original decision was to decline Miss Stark’s application. However, following the display of her proficiency in Vulcan and willingness to improve, Orsak changed his mind. The other ministers were soon convinced; the decision was almost unanimous. I presume he is interested in how you will cope. Some form of social experiment, if you will.”

 

A shocked silence fell over the table as they worked out how to react. Several times, one of those sat round the table opened their mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Eventually, Rosalina spoke, aiming to finish her description of the day’s events for Lady Amanda.

“When the ministers returned, Orsak told me of their final decision and dismissed me quite soon after.” She turned to Sarek. “I believe you were correct that displaying my proficiency in speaking Vulcan would aid the acquisition of a favourable outcome. Thank you for the suggestion.”

 

“You are most welcome, Miss Stark. I believe you would benefit from a good night’s sleep- you have a long journey home ahead of you tomorrow. A servant will help you pack.”

 

“That is most kind of you Ambassador, but I have few belongings with me. I prefer to pack my own things, so I know exactly where to find them. Thank you for the meal, Lady Amanda. It was delicious.”

 

Bowing respectfully as she left the room, Rosalina returned to the guest suite. She lay out her clothes for the next day and packed the rest of her belongings in her small suitcase, leaving it by the door. Her overnight bag would be packed in the morning. Climbing into the cool sheets of the bed, the smile which had been threatening all day finally broke out. She was going to be a student at the Vulcan Science Academy. Deciding to tell her parents the good news when she arrived home, Rosalina drifted off to sleep.

 

 

The boarding area was crowded with passengers, loved ones and various staff members. The shawl Lady Amanda had lent her allowed Rosalina to avoid most of the stares warranted by her human appearance. On reflection, standing at the gate with Spock probably wasn’t the best for avoiding attention. He had decided to accompany her to Earth and stay with the Starks until the Starfleet Academy term started in a month’s time. This way, he would have time to assimilate to Earth’s climate and culture minus the added academic stress. The shawl started to irritate Rosalina’s face as it flapped in the breeze, so she removed it. ‘Let them stare. I’ll be at the VSA in a few months’ she thought, as she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.

 

_“I see you are accompanying the human female back home, Spohck. How very admirable. Are you to attend Starfleet Academy together?”_

 

The voice belonged to a Vulcan Rosalina had never met before. Judging by Spock’s reaction to his sudden appearance, she guessed that he was his childhood tormentor, Sofek. Spock had mentioned him briefly when recounting an incident from school, when after 35 attempts to get an emotional response from him, Sofek had called Lady Amanda a ‘human whore’, resulting in Spock beating him into one of the learning pits.

 

 _“Greetings, Sofek.”_ Spock replied, jaw tightening in annoyance.

 

Ah, so she was right. Excellent.

 

_“I do not believe we have been acquainted, Sofek. My name is Rosalina Stark. You are correct that Spohck is accompanying me to Earth, and I am grateful for his company.”_

 

Seemingly shocked at the fact she had responded, Sofek turned back to Spock. _“So your companion speaks Vulcan. I assume you have been tutoring her in your spare time?”_ he spoke in Andorian this time, a hint of amusement in his voice.

 

‘So he’s suggesting I’m Spock’s girlfriend then.’ Rosalina pondered, replying to Sofek again. _“The fact that you are speaking Andorian and your current attire both suggest you are working at the embassy. There is a federation trade conference on Earth next week- I assume you are attending as an assistant?”_

 

A green tinge of annoyance flared up on Sofek’s ear tips, dying down just as quickly. Now switching to Orion, he tried again to get a response from an increasingly amused Spock. _“Your human can speak Andorian too? You must have inherited your father’s affection for xenolinguists.”_

 

 _“I am not his human.”_ Rosalina spoke up again, standing now directly in front of Sofek. _“The jump from one language to the next implies that you don’t want me to hear what you’re saying. You are welcome to continue until you find a language I don’t speak.”_

 

“Then we shall converse in Standard. It is illogical to strain your human mind to such lengths in order to impress Spock.” Sofek’s annoyance was barely concealed.

 

“I am perfectly able to continue in Vulcan, though your suggestion is most considerate. I believe that I have already impressed Spohck quite enough this week.”

 

Taking his cue, Spock spoke. “Indeed. I was most surprised when Miss Stark’s application to the Vulcan Science Academy was accepted. Whilst we are discussing the matter, how was your own application received, Sofek?”

 

Sofek looked at Spock now, his body stiffening in annoyance. He walked away briskly just as the announcement for their flight’s departure came over the intercom.

 

“I assume his application was declined.”

 

Spock’s mouth curled slightly in reply. “Your assumption is correct.”


	5. Chapter 5

_“Welcome home, Miss Stark.”_

 

“Greetings, JARVIS. Please will you inform father that Spock and I have arrived?”

 

_“Certainly. I trust your journey was acceptable, Mr S’chn T’gai?”_

 

“Affirmative, JARVIS.”

 

Heavy footfalls could be heard thundering towards them. Spock moved quickly behind Rosalina as Clint and Natasha ran in from the kitchen, closely followed by Bruce. Holding up a hand to halt an onslaught of questions, Rosalina kept a blank face. She didn’t want to give anything away. Stepping to the side so Spock was visible, she addressed the small crowd.

 

“This is Spock. I will tell you all together, so I do not have to repeat myself.”

 

She walked through the group to the dining area and sat at the head of the table. Spock sat to her immediate left, still wary of the Avengers present. ‘At least Thor isn’t here, that would really scare him’ she thought, watching as the adults sat down in their usual places. Clint and Natasha sat next to each other at one end, Bruce leaving space for Tony between himself and Steve, who sat next to Natasha. Tony and Pepper walked in together moments later.

 

“So then, what’s the verdict?” Pepper asked before noticing Spock’s presence. “Oh! Hello Spock dear, how are you?”

 

“I am quite well, Mrs Stark. And yourself?”

 

“I’m great, thank you for asking.”

 

After her parents were seated, Rosalina stood up and clasped her hands behind her back. Looking around at the varying degrees of worry on the adults faces, she smiled widely. “My application was accepted- I’m going to the Vulcan Science Academy.”

 

Worry turned to shock, then smiles and expressions of congratulations. Her father insisted on opening some champagne, passing flutes around the table for everyone. Spock stared at the bubbling liquid for a minute before taking a curious sip, a look of disgust forming on his face. He smiled gratefully to Rosalina when she swapped her empty glass for his, standing by him as she spoke to Bruce.

 

“I’m still quite surprised they let you in.” The scientist shifted under Spock’s awkward gaze. “Not that I didn’t think you could do it, just that it was unlikely the Vulcans would.”

 

“So am I, Uncle Bruce. Apparently it was a very last minute decision. Ambassador Sarek said the council changed their minds when I went to receive their verdict.”

 

“And the ambassador is your father, Spock?”

 

“Indeed, Doctor Banner.” Pausing for a few moments, Spock continued. “I have read many of your papers on anti-electron collisions. I found them to be rather fascinating.”

 

“Really?” Bruce looked up, quite surprised at the praise the Vulcan had given him. “Which in particular?”

 

Leaving the two to talk, Rosalina walked over to Clint. Natasha and Pepper were chatting at the kitchen counter, and Tony was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Do you know where dad’s gone?”

 

“On the phone to Happy, telling him the good news.” Sipping his champagne, Clint jerked his head in Spock’s direction. “What’s your friend doing here, anyway?”

 

“Spock is going to attend the Starfleet Academy. The first semester starts next month, so he thought he’d come early. Get used to the climate.”

 

“Didn’t he get accepted?”

 

A smile crept onto Rosalina’s face as she remembered the past week’s events. “Oh, he did. He declined his place.”

 

“There’s a story behind that smile. I suppose now isn’t the time?”

 

“It isn’t my place to tell you that. But don’t ask Spock outright- I believe he is rather frightened of you all.”

 

“Well, he seems to be getting along alright with the good doctor.”

 

Looking back to where she had been standing minutes earlier, Rosalina saw Spock and Bruce having a rather animated conversation. Well, animated for a Vulcan. Spock’s stature had relaxed somewhat, with Bruce excitedly discussing theories from his papers. She smiled. She had been a little worried about how Bruce would fare once she moved to Vulcan, but it seemed that Spock would be an adequate replacement. Perhaps she should ask her father if he could live here with them- the Academy was only a 10 minute hover bus ride away, or Spock could have her car. Students at Starfleet had to share rooms, and as one of the only Vulcans attending the Academy, Spock’s need for a private room might not be catered for. Rosalina decided to ask her father when he came back.

 

Clint’s comm started buzzing, and when he pulled it out of his pocket, Director Fury’s caller ID was displayed on the screen. He motioned for Natasha to follow him out of the room as he answered. As they left, Tony entered. Rosalina recognised the mischievous grin on her father’s face and wondered what he had planned. He certainly hadn’t just called Happy.

 

“Right- we’ve got a press conference arranged for tomorrow afternoon. Gives our weary travellers some time to rest; and Spock can explain why he’s here as well.” Clapping his hands together, Tony span on his heel and walked out in an attempt to avoid his wife’s anger. It was evident that he had only bought himself a few moments as Pepper stormed after him. A minute later, muffled shouting drifted to them from the office.

 

“I shall show you to your room, Spock, if you are amenable?”

 

“Many thanks, Rosalina.”

 

Rosalina had realised how human she had been sounding since she got accepted into the Academy. ‘I’ll have to practice’ she thought as she walked from the room, both Spock and Bruce following after her.

 

 

Rosalina and Doctor Banner were mid-way through another meditation session in the gym when they heard the whoosh of the lift descending. She sighed quietly, opening her eyes and turning to face the disturbance. Spock walked sheepishly through the door, and she stood to greet him.

 

“May I join you? Your father is working, and his music accounts for less than optimal meditation conditions.”

 

“Of course,” Rosalina extended an arm, indicating that he sit on the mats with her and Bruce.

 

Bruce opened an eye, seeming slightly startled by the Vulcan’s sudden presence. As Spock set up his asenoi, Bruce stared at it worriedly. Sensing the other man’s unease, Spock lifted his head to offer an explanation.

 

“You have no need to be alarmed, Doctor Banner. This is an incense burner which aids my meditation. It has been discovered to have a calming effect on humans- you may find its use to be beneficial.”

 

Bruce looked visibly calmer after this reassurance, settling back down and closing his eyes. The three formed a ring around the asenoi, the dusty scent of the incense filling their lungs. Rosalina realised how this smell reminded her of the S’chn T’gai family home, bringing memories of childhood holidays spent in the Vulcan desert bubbling up in her mind. Swimming with Spock in the natural pools near his home. Begging her parents to let her have a Sehlat after days of training I-Chaya how to fetch. Lady Amanda and Pepper chatting over a cup of Vulcan tea as Rosalina helped Spock fix his hover bike. When the scent dissipated, so did the memories dancing in her subconscious. Opening her eyes, she looked at the clock, noticing Banner doing the same. Almost two hours had passed. The three stood, Bruce smiling in appreciation as Spock picked up his things. They all left in content silence, JARVIS shutting off the lights as the door closed behind them.

 

 

As Rosalina entered her father’s workshop, she heard him curse loudly. Silently weaving between the benches and robot parts, she saw Dummy aiming a fire extinguisher at Tony’s head.

 

“Don’t you dare!” Waving his arms in front of his face, her father struggled to stand up.

 

Moving forwards to help him up, Rosalina noticed the suit components scattered around the room. She deduced that it was the heavy boot units on her father’s feet causing the difficulty. Hooking her arms under his, she lifted him clear of the floor, placing him down on his feet. Tony span round quickly, having to steady himself on one of the workbenches. Unfortunately, it had wheels, sending both him and the parts on the bench crashing to the floor. Stifling a laugh, she walked over and stood above him.

 

“The aim was for you to remain upright, father; not fall back down. Do you require further assistance?”

 

“That’d be great- thanks. Don’t sneak up on me like that, okay? I thought it was Pepper.”

 

Helping her father to his feet, she dusted the metal shavings from his back. “Apologies father, I did not mean to startle you. Why would mother’s presence worry you to the extent that you would repeatedly go crashing to the ground?”

 

The mischievous grin was back. Clapping his hands, Tony span round, managing this time to keep his balance. A hologram appeared of one of his old suits- the mark 42. As he swiped his hand in the air, the image changed and various adjustments became clear.

 

“As you’ll be living on Vulcan, I recon you’d need to go zipping around the planet for your studies. Now, although I admire Vulcan feats of engineering, I don’t particularly like how flimsy those hover bikes are. Constantly crashing, those things. I know that’s mainly down to the pilot, but still. Excuse the pun, but I think one of these bad boys would be far more suitable, don’t you think?”

 

With a flick of his wrist, the hologram suit swept over to Rosalina, encasing her in translucent blue. She moved her arms, the projection following her every move. The design was streamlined, fitted to her form. She tried different moves, spotting her father’s amusement in her peripheral vision as she did somersaults and kicks.

 

“It is perfect father. Do you require my presence here whilst you work on it? My input may be of use, and the components can be fitted to me whilst we work on them. The project would be accelerated with a collaboration of minds.”

 

“Certainly, sweetheart.”

 

Swiping the hologram away, she set about clearing up the mess her father’s second fall had made. They pushed two benches together and set out the components Tony had started on. Most of the inner workings were there, with silicone backings to make the motherboards more flexible. A new slim line arc-reactor had already been prepared to power it and was sat on another table.

 

“We could do with having one of those mannequin things made so we can shape the armoured panels without burning you with the welding…”

 

Stepping over to the platform in the centre of the room, Rosalina gestured for JARVIS to do a full body scan. Moments later, an exact replica of her figure was emerging from the 3D printer. Standing it up against one wall, she went back to configuring the flight controls.

 

“Wow. That is so creepy.”

 

Looking at the model, she saw what he meant. “It is somewhat unnerving. The cold, unblinking stare. The stiff posture. The fact that my skin is now dull grey.”

 

“Maybe we should get some of your mum’s make-up, liven it up a bit.”

 

“That may be amusing.”

 

As her father jogged out of the workshop, Rosalina sighed. She would genuinely miss his antics when she moved to Vulcan. Yes, he was very annoying to live with, but on occasion he could be quite funny, even loving. When he returned with an armful of make-up and clothes, she couldn’t help but laugh. They set to work on the model. First, the foundation. Very patchy as he had forgotten to bring brushes, but it would do. Slapping blush and eye shadow on was a little more difficult, the surface of the plastic quite rough.

 

“I’m sure she won’t mind.” Tony said, sticking on some of Pepper’s favourite false eyelashes. “I’m fairly certain this is the old pair, anyway.”

 

Slowly, the model started to look a bit less lifeless, and more like a child’s drawing brought to life. Rosalina remembered the time she had played with her mother’s make-up, and the horrified look she had received when she came down to dinner with it on. Her father had laughed, telling her mother to calm down. Nothing had changed. Tony picked up two dresses, comparing them. He held out the one in his right hand.

 

“You see, this matches the eye shadow,” he held out the dress in his left hand. “But this one would complement your figure more. What do we think?”

 

Trying hard not to laugh, she pointed to the one on the left. As they struggled to get it onto the model, a smile escaped. They were so pre-occupied that they didn’t hear the doors open. There was a cough, and they turned around guiltily to see Pepper stood behind them, arms folded.

 

“And what do you two think you’re doing?”


	6. Chapter 6

At her mother’s insistence, Rosalina had not attended the press conference her father had arranged. However, Pepper had been unsuccessful in convincing Tony not to mention the fact that their daughter was to attend the Vulcan Science Academy, and for the past week the world’s media had been camped outside their front door. JARVIS had upped the voltage on the electric fence around the house, a privacy measure installed during the rebuild of the Malibu beach house. Spock had helped build a force field that would destroy any unauthorised electrical equipment- one reporter had the audacity to file a lawsuit for damage to property, but ended up in prison for trespassing. Spock’s first day at Starfleet was drawing closer, and the press showed no signs of leaving.

 

After another communal meditation session, Spock seemed to hesitate as Rosalina and Bruce headed towards the door. Sensing he had a question, Rosalina waited behind. The door closed quietly behind Bruce and the two stood in silence for a moment before Spock spoke.

 

“My father has suggested that you live at my family home when you move to Vulcan. The Academy’s dwellings may be a little… sterile. He thought it may ease your transition if you were to have familiar faces around you.”

 

Rosalina was shocked. The Ambassador was concerned about her welfare? “I suppose this was your mother’s idea.”

 

“Indeed. However, my father is not adverse to the notion. I believe it was my mother’s idea originally, and she has convinced my father of the logic behind it. She knows how unwelcoming Vulcans can seem at first and I believe she does not want you to feel uncomfortable after working so hard to get there.”

 

“Thank your parents for me, Spock. I would be gratified to accept their invitation.” As they walked from the room, Rosalina decided to broach a subject which had been on her mind for a while. “Perhaps you would consider a similar invitation?”

 

Spock turned to her, confused, as they entered the lift.

 

“Starfleet Academy is inexperienced in catering to the needs of Vulcans, as the VSA will be to catering for a human’s needs.” She paused- how to word this. “It is customary for Cadets to have a roommate at the Academy, something which I know would not suit you. If I may, you might find it to be beneficial to live here, rather than in Cadet Accommodation. Also, Doctor Banner appears to have taken a shine to you- I am concerned that he will feel isolated once I am off planet.”

 

Spock looked forward, considering the idea. The doors opened, and Rosalina was beginning to worry that she had offended him when he suddenly spoke.

 

“I thank you for the offer, but I am afraid I must decline. I will most likely spend my time on the Academy campus, studying in the libraries. However, I do enjoy the Doctor’s company, and would not be adverse to regular discussion with him, either in person or via Comm. As for the potential accommodation issues, I am sure my father could rectify any problems, with a little persuasion.”

 

The mischievous look which accompanied his last sentence drew a small smile from Rosalina. As they neared the door to Spock’s room, the two nodded to one another in farewell. She continued to her room alone, the click of his door locking echoing slightly in the corridor.

 

 

Sat once again with her father in the workshop, the suit components were ready for rendering, and work had ground to a halt. Tony insisted that the original gold and hot-rod red would be suitable. Rosalina wanted something a bit more subtle. And much less shiny.

 

“I just think it’s a bit much. Vulcan is hotter anyway, and they have more hours of sunlight. So, a shiny golden suit whizzing around might… catch a bit too much attention.”

 

_“Also, the retina of surrounding Vulcans may be damaged irreparably by the sunbeams directed from the suit.”_

 

Tony flung his arms in the air. “Don’t agree with her, JARVIS!”

 

“I believe a more… logical… render may be agreed upon.”

 

Now draping his whole body across a workbench, Tony groaned in dismay. Walking over to him, Rosalina crouched by his head. Letting out a quiet sigh, she turned her head to face him, just as he did the same. After briefly staring at one another, Tony clambered off the desk and sat on the floor next to her. The silence continued for another few minutes, broken only by the quiet scraping of Tony’s restless feet.

 

“I’m really worried about you. You’ve never been away for that long before. When you do go off, you’ve got someone with you. You’re at least on the same planet as me. But out there, on Vulcan…” His voice was strained. “I can’t protect you. If something happened or you needed my help, I’d be a three day journey away. I have to be honest, that terrifies me, Rosalina.”

 

Tony lifted his head to look at her, tears forming in his eyes. Blinking to force them away, he stared forwards. Her father’s sudden confession startled Rosalina. He very rarely expressed his emotions, and when he did they were usually outbursts brought on by his PTSD, which Pepper comforted him through. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle a breakdown. Now seemingly in control of his emotions, her father continued.

 

“That’s why I’m building you the suit. I want you to be safe. I suppose I want it to look like the Mark II because it’s the most iconic- people will know you are my daughter, and that I will fuck them up if they hurt you. Also, I suppose I’m a little worried that once you go off to Vulcan University…”

 

“The Vulcan Science Academy, dad.” She corrected on impulse, internally chastising herself for interrupting him.

 

“Right, yeah. Well, I worry that you’ll forget about your old man. All that exciting science, hours of studying- you probably won’t have much time for missing me.”

 

Rosalina turned to her father, astonished. It wasn’t like him to initiate a heart-to-heart talk, never mind voice his feelings aloud. ‘He must be really worried…’ she thought to herself.

 

“Father, I do not think it possible to forget about someone as… charismatic as yourself.”

 

“Does that mean I’m annoying?” he replied with a light laugh.

 

“Not at all.”

 

Smiling, Tony stood, ruffling Rosalina’s hair as he did so. She swatted at his leg, crawling under the desk to avoid a playful kick. She pulled herself up, dusting off her knees. Looking up, she noticed the several holograms, each showing a different render option for the new suit.

 

_“During your conversation, I took the liberty of assessing optimal renders for the suit’s use in both Terran and Vulcan atmospheres.”_

 

“Thank you, JARVIS.” Walking to the other side of the table, she took her place next to her father. “I do quite like the look of that black one. Matte paintwork, naturally, would be best. It could also act as camouflage for any late night excursions.” She spotted her father’s concerned look in her peripheral vision. “This, of course, would only be in emergency cases. I’m sure the Ambassador wouldn’t allow me to stay out too late.”

 

Now her father was genuinely confused.

 

“Spock’s parents have offered to house me for my first year at the Academy. The accommodation is, Ambassador Sarek says, unsuitable for humans. The S’chn T’gai family home is only a few minutes’ drive from the campus. Lady Amanda also purchased an apartment in ShiKahr for Spock to use when he attended the VSA. As he will not be doing so, she has offered that I may stay there if I wanted a private space.”

 

“Oh. That’s terribly kind of her- I’ll have to get Pepper to thank her. I don’t think Sarek would want to speak to me after what happened last time…”

 

“I don’t think I’ve heard that story.”

 

Tony laughed. “And neither will you- it was a terrible awkward situation which I don’t want to relive.”

 

‘I’ll just ask Spock’ she thought as the matte black paint was selected. The suit components were already in the rendering machine, which was now whirring into life. Smiling to her father, Rosalina started to walk out of the workshop when she spotted a metal leg poking out of a storage unit across the room.

 

“What is that leg doing over there?”

 

Turning to face her, Tony looked sheepish. “Well, I figured you’d need a bit of a lesson in how to fly the suit, so I’ve cobbled one together for myself. I thought we could maybe go out for a quick spin once yours is ready…”

 

The smile returned. “I would love to, father. Spending quality time together before I depart for Vulcan would be most appreciated.”

 

As she turned to leave, she saw her father beaming in her peripheral vision.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the massive delay! College etc. has been getting pretty hectic in the lead up to exams. To make up for it, I'll be posting 4 chapters with this update. Enjoy!

Upon hearing the door slam, Rosalina’s eyes snapped open. Her mother had finally gone to work. Now, so could she. Hurtling down the stairs at breakneck speed, she only remembered the lift when she reached the workshop. The total breach of Vulcan decorum was also lost on her until the glass door swung open and she rounded the corner, slowing as her father came into view. It was not Tony Stark stood before her, but Iron Man. The suit he ‘cobbled together’ over the past week looked almost as advanced as her own; it was obvious that he had kept the Mark 42 plans in the system, just in case he needed one on short notice. Approaching the raised platform at the centre of the room, a genuine smile spread across her lips as she looked at her father. The robotics whirred into life as her suit emerged from the floor, Tony’s face beaming with pride and excitement as his daughter’s slight frame disappeared under the metal plates. Moments later, Rosalina stepped down, fully clad in matte black armour. Father and daughter stood in silence for a few minutes, both smiling as Tony’s eyes began to water.

 

“Wow!” Tony finally said, clamping the mask down to hide his tears. “Shall we?”

 

Rosalina nodded. As the mask slid over her face, JARVIS projected visuals of the suit’s fuel levels, estimated charge length and a pre-planned flight pattern and schedule. After a quick explanation of how to start the jet boosters, the duo headed to the opening of the driveway. Calculations went whirring before her eyes as Rosalina copied her father’s stance, preparing the boosters for take-off.

 

“Right. I’ll go first, then JARVIS will tell you when I’m clear.”

 

Rosalina nodded, Tony shooting out of sight. A few moments later, JARVIS’ voice sounded in her ear. Remembering her father’s instructions from previous lessons, she powered up the boosters and flew out into the sun. As she joined her father, she noticed the crowd of reporters. Many had left after weeks of nothing, but those who remained were surely glad they had done so. This was the first time Iron Man had emerged in many years; and now there he was, with his daughter in tow. After posing for the cameras, they shot off, heading over the ocean to practice manoeuvres.

 

“Right then, let’s give them something to stare at. You seem to have straight flying sorted, so we’ll try some tricks. Imagine I am a big bit of rock. You’ve rounded a corner, and there I suddenly am. Try and dodge me.”

 

As he finished, Jarvis projected an image of the Vulcan desert onto the visor of her helmet, a rather convincing rock standing where her father had been. She hurtled towards him, dodging him at the last minute and swinging round to return to her place. As she did so, the projection threw up another rock, and she dodged that too. They continued like this for half an hour. By the time they had finished, a message popped up on Rosalina’s screen. It was from Pepper.

 

‘I hope your father knows what he has started with this suit business. You’re both in trouble when I get back.’

 

“Miss Stark, I believe there is something you would like to see.”

 

As JARVIS spoke, her helmet opened up. A sea of reporters was surrounding the barrier around the house. News crews, photographers; the works. Looking over to her father, she saw a helicopter moving towards them. “They will love this” she thought, clamping the mask shut. She turned towards it and raised her arm, feigning an attack posture. She could hear the reporter inside begin to panic and indicated for JARVIS to retract the whole helmet. As he did so, she adopted a serious expression and stared into the camera, lowering her arm. Smiling wickedly, she flew round the helicopter, missing it by inches as she passed. She rounded the back of the craft and shot back into the house after her father. He was already halfway out of his suit and ordering JARVIS to put the news on. Shaking flies from her hair, Rosalina saw Spock jogging down the stairs, Padd in hand. As the suit was pried off her body, he approached the platform.

 

“Some very impressive manoeuvres, Rosalina. I have footage of your session, should you wish to review it.”

 

“Thank you, Spock” she smiled, taking the Padd from him. “I was not aware that we had such an audience.”

 

“At my last count, there were over 200 gathered at the front of the house. I must admit to being entertained by your antics directed at the hovercraft. Also, your Aunt and Uncle have returned- the latter has sustained quite a few injuries. And your mother…”

 

Before he had time to finish, Pepper was storming into the workshop. Even in heels and a pencil skirt, she could move surprisingly quickly.

 

“Tony Stark, how could you! Pulling a stunt like that…”

 

“…Pepper, listen…”

 

“No Tony, you listen. Spock has to go to the Academy tomorrow, and the reporters were just starting to leave, now look! There’s thousands…”

 

“…234, Mrs Stark…”

 

“Yes, thank you Spock. Lots of reporters; how are we going to get these two out of here tomorrow, Tony?”

 

“Well, I guess my suit might…”

 

“NO!” She stormed right up to him, their noses almost touching.

 

Rosalina indicated to Spock that they should probably leave, the pair sidling towards the stairs. Her parents were far too busy arguing to notice their departure.

 

“I apologise that you had to see that.”

 

“It is quite alright. You are not at fault.”

 

“My mother will have quite a different opinion, I am sure. Sorry for interrupting…”

 

“That is alright.”

 

Spock stopped walking when they reached the door of his room. He turned to Rosalina, a look of what she assumed was worry on his face.

 

“I imagine we shall both be rather busy when the term starts, adjusting to our new environments. If my communications with you become less frequent, or indeed cease for a time, I would not want you to think it was due to a fault of your own. I shall endeavour to keep up regular communication, however…” He paused for thought.

 

“I understand. A weekly message would suffice, not meaning to pressure you. Just to keep up with events from our respective lives?”

 

“Indeed. An excellent suggestion.” A hint of a smile played on his lips as he reached for the door. “Thank you, Rosalina. I believe it would be best for us both to finish packing.”

 

“Indeed. I shall see you in the morning, Spock.”

 

They nodded to one another as they parted, Rosalina’s mind turning to the issue of what to take to Vulcan. Her clothes were mostly unsuitable for a desert climate, and none fit with Vulcan fashions or dress standards. ‘I guess I’ll have to go shopping’ she thought, packing the only two Vulcan gowns she owned into the smaller of her two suitcases. Both were far too formal for every-day wear, especially at the Academy. As she was to be picked up by the Ambassador when she arrived, formal attire would not be deemed inappropriate. They joined her large collection of Padds and toiletries for the three day journey. Looking over to the large case at the end of her bed, she debated whether or not to take it. Most of its contents were of sentimental value to her, and she felt somewhat foolish for wanting to take them. Making her decision, she emptied it, putting her belongings back in their place. Both the apartment and the S’chn T’gai home were fully equipped with anything she may need. Her various computing projects were moved to the smaller case, the items needed for the journey reassigned to her hand luggage. “Much better” she thought, closing and locking the cases. It had been decided that she would leave on the same day as Spock, so that she could get used to her new home and familiarise herself with the Academy layout. Ambassador Sarek would be away for most of the time, so Lady Amanda would help her move in to the flat.

 

There was a light knock on the door, followed by a clunk. Opening the door, she revealed a rather tired-looking Bruce Banner, holding a strange suitcase. She held the door open for him as he half carried, half dragged it into the room. He sighed audibly when he put it down, his spine cracking as he stretched. Turning to the confused Rosalina, he smiled, offering an explanation.

 

“It’s a portable suit thing. What’s it called, that contraption that puts the suit on?”

 

“I don’t actually know, Uncle Bruce.”

 

“Ah. Well, it’s one of those. Your dad found it lying around a few weeks back, but he’s finally finished the upgrades. It’s very exciting, how a whole suit can fit into that thing. It’s a bit heavy though, you might need Spock to help you with it.”

 

“Thank you Uncle Bruce. Did dad make you carry it all the way up here?”

 

“Tony’s a bit busy helping Natasha with Clint. His arm took a few too many hits on their way out, and he’s refusing to go to a hospital. Your dad’s knocking him up a weaponised cast. Don’t think that’s a great idea after Pepper’s earlier outburst, but he wouldn’t listen.”

 

“He never does, Bruce. I don’t think he’ll ever learn. Keep an eye on him for me, will you? I can’t exactly run to his aid anymore.”

 

“Of course, Rosalina…”

 

A shout came down the corridor, Bruce excusing himself quickly and running out of the room. Shrugging, she carried on with her packing. Now, if only she could find that other shoe…


	8. Chapter 8

Rosalina stood next to Spock at the hoverbus terminal, the Avengers team stood behind them, trying to look casual. They were all waving them off, with Pepper and Tony going with them to the main transport station. There, Rosalina would catch a craft to Vulcan, and Spock another bus to the Starfleet Academy. Rosalina had fitted the cases with little boosters the night before so she didn’t have to carry them, especially helpful for the suit. It was shockingly heavy- she knew the one Tony took to Monaco was far lighter. He’d put a location lock on it so it would only open when she got to Vulcan, making her even more suspicious. The terminal chimed, informing them of the bus’s imminent arrival. Hugging each of the Avengers goodbye, she accepted their well-wishes. Spock received smiles and a pat on the back from Clint, who immediately apologised. The bus came to a stop and the four embarked, the Starks waving as it set off.

 

Upon their arrival at the station, they disembarked and stood in a small huddle under one of the projections showing arrival and departure times. Luckily, the two transports would be leaving within a few minutes of each other. Spock’s arrived first, so Rosalina left her luggage at the terminal with her parents and walked with Spock to his. There were a few stares, one reporter taking a picture of the pair and a handful of people looking around, knowing where one Stark went, the rest would surely follow. When they arrived at the terminal, it showed that the bus to Starfleet would arrive in one minute. Standing back from the crowd of other students, Spock turned to Rosalina, the discomfort showing on his face.

 

“I am certain you shall excel at everything, Spock. Maybe they will let you graduate early.”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

The hoverbus would be arriving in a few seconds. ‘42’, she thought. ‘42 seconds. I will have to learn to be more precise’. Spock stood silent, surveying the crowd. When the bus arrived, he hung back, avoiding the crush at the door. He picked up his case, beginning to walk forward. Suddenly, he stopped, seeming to cringe. Rosalina looked on confused as he dropped his case, stepping back towards her and pulling her into a stiff embrace. Startled, she patted his back a few times before he withdrew, nodded a rushed farewell and jogged towards the bus, case in hand. Waiting until the bus pulled away, she waved to him and began a light jog back to her own terminal across the station. That hug had certainly been strange. Vulcans were loath to public displays of affection in any form; even a quick hug between departing friends would be frowned upon. She would have time to ponder on that later.

 

Hearing the announcement for her transport’s departure, she broke into a light run. She would need time to get through the terminal, and her parents would undoubtedly have something to say to her. Slowing as she approached them, she noticed the gathering of reporters surrounding her parents. Pushing through them, she jogged into Pepper’s waiting arms. Tony brought both of them into an embrace, kissing his daughter’s head as he did so. They stayed like this for a few seconds, the moment only spoiled by the flashing of cameras and the voices of the reporters. Rosalina picked up her cases, giving her parents a small smile as she did so. Climbing up the stairs to the craft, she heard a reporter shout for her to ‘give them a smile.’ She stopped suddenly, earning a strange look from the steward at the door. She turned dramatically, glaring down at the surrounding reporters. The crowd quietened slightly, then she gave them a sarcastic grin. Spinning on her heel, she entered the craft, nodding to the steward as the doors slid shut behind her. Another steward, a Vulcan this time, showed her to her cabin.

 

 

After three days of confinement on the small craft, Rosalina welcomed the hot desert winds of ShiKahr like an old friend. She wore one of her Vulcan gowns with Lady Amanda’s scarf wound round her face. Squinting against the swirly sand, she looked for the Ambassador’s car. When she spotted it, she moved forwards with her cases, the one containing the suit floating along next to her, handcuffed to her wrist. Her father had added that precaution as an afterthought a few moments before her departure from Earth. As she neared the vehicle, Lady Amanda stepped out of the back, smiling warmly to her.

 

“Do get in the car quickly dear, the storm is only going to get worse. Tavek will help with your cases.”

 

As she spoke, a middle-aged Vulcan man took the cases from at her sides, seeming confused to find one secured to her person. He placed the other two in the boot and returned to his place in the driver’s seat as Amanda held the door for her. When the door slammed shut behind her, she unwound the scarf from her head. The fact that she could only use one arm slowed her significantly, making her movements awkward as they drove.

 

“I apologise for Sarek’s absence. He had urgent business at the embassy.”

 

“That is fine, Lady Amanda. I am gratified for your hospitality, and apologise for the delay.”

 

“You cannot help solar flares, Rosalina dear. It is wonderful to see you again. May I ask what is in the case?”

 

Realising it was still floating, she moved her feet from under it and clicked to stop the boosters. It fell with a thud, Rosalina wincing at the sound. She explained the contents of the case, spending the rest of the journey talking about developments in her own life, the progress of Amanda’s garden since her last visit, and Spock. She decided to omit the part where he unexpectedly hugged her, still unable to fully understand his motives in doing so herself. They were only in the car for ten minutes when it stopped outside a towering apartment complex. The door was opened by Tavek, and she and Amanda stepped out. Rosalina thanked him for his assistance, taking her cases and restarting the boosters. Amanda led the way into the building as the car drove off, swiping the key card at the door and holding it as Rosalina walked through.

 

“Are you sure you do not require assistance with your cases?”

 

“Yes, Lady Amanda. Many thanks for your kind offer, but I can manage.”

 

They walked to the lift, Amanda swiping the card again to open the doors. They whooshed closed behind her, the lift immediately rising through the floors. It stopped at floor 30, the doors opening to reveal a hallway.

 

“Welcome to your new home!” Amanda declared, arms flung wide as she walked forward.

 

Rosalina followed, noticing the cooler temperature immediately. The style of the decoration was more Terran minimalism than Vulcan severity. The room screamed Spock, with a Vulcan chess set on a small table in one corner, and a Ka’athyra by the side of the sofa. The new-age Vulcan open plan living was being used to its full potential; the kitchen, living and dining areas all merged into one large entertaining space. There was an alcove for storing coats and shoes in the corridor, with two doors leading to the bedrooms off the living area. The faint smell of Plomeek soup drifted towards her, immediately reminding her of her childhood years on Vulcan. This would be her first time on the planet without Spock being present.

 

After unpacking her things and admiring the spacious bedroom and en-suite bathroom, Rosalina returned to the main room, finding Ambassador Sarek in the kitchen with his wife. They seemed to be conversing via mind-meld, so she began backing into her room again. The door had closed, the quiet clunk disturbing the perfect silence of the apartment. Sarek leapt away from Amanda when he heard it, spotting Rosalina standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Her face flushed with embarrassment at interrupting such an intimate moment. She dropped her head, lifting it when she heard Amanda’s voice.

 

“The soup is almost finished dear, would you like to take a seat?”

 

Much to Amanda’s protest, Rosalina laid the table. The meal was eaten in silence, only broken by the occasional request for bread. Once they had finished, Sarek rose, taking the bowls to the sink then walking to the stasis unit at the end of the kitchen. The women exchanged confused looks as he returned to the table with a box. Placing it in front of them he retrieved more bowls and spoons, placing one in front of each of them. Still in confused silence, they watched as Sarek pried the lid off the box, revealing vanilla ice cream. Amanda’s eyes widened, turning to her husband as he looked between the two women.

 

“I had my secretary retrieve this from the market. I had heard some tradesmen from Earth had recently arrived to advertise their wares, and I recalled the occasion on which Spock tried some of this. It was far too sweet for him, but I remember Amanda enjoying it. I believe it is a common dessert on Earth.” Sarek turned to his wife. “I should like to try some, if you are amenable?”

 

“Of course, Sarek. You bought this for us?”

 

“Indeed. There are more boxes in the stasis unit at our home. I believed it may be a comfort to you, Rosalina. Women on Earth often consume this in large quantities when upset, I have heard.”

 

Smiling, Rosalina thanked him. Amanda gave them each some, with Rosalina having two scoops and her and Sarek one each. The reason for this soon became clear when Sarek took a tentative spoonful of the ice cream and immediately grimaced. His Vulcan upbringing meant he forced himself to finish what he had eaten, then quietly pushing his bowl over to Amanda. As Sarek battled to keep a straight face, it became increasingly difficult for Rosalina to do the same. While finishing her own bowl, occasional smiles broke free as she remembered the expression on his face. She remembered one of Spock’s first visits to Earth, when Pepper thought she had poisoned him with the iced treat. It took almost an hour for Amanda to finally convince her Spock was fine.

 

After they had finished their desserts, Amanda helped Rosalina with washing and drying the pots. Sarek looked out of the window, absent-mindedly plucking at the strings of the Ka’athyra. Amanda quietly commented that it was his favourite instrument, and by extension Spock’s. They had spent much time bonding as Sarek taught his young son to play. He had shown her how to pluck the instrument when they were younger- she was even able to play a short tune with it. ‘Maybe I will have time to learn to play properly, while I am here’ she thought as the last bowl was placed in the cupboard. After thanking the couple for the meal, they left her to settle down in her new home.


	9. Chapter 9

Her first day of lectures at the Vulcan Science Academy had arrived. Upon Councillor Orsak’s insistence, she had taken Genetics as her main option; she was still unsure as to his motives behind this, but welcomed it. She did enjoy Genetics. Found it 'fascinating', as Spock would say. Rosalina felt uncharacteristically nervous as she donned her new robes. She had gone shopping with Lady Amanda for new clothes, taking in the sights of ShiKahr as they went. She walked to the bathroom, cleaning her teeth and checking her hair for the fifth time that morning. Rosalina knew she had to hurry, having procrastinated most of the morning away. After putting in her new contacts to protect her eyes from the sun, she scooped up her Padds and headed for the door. With a deep sigh, she walked out of the door, into the lift and her new life as a student at the VSA.

 

Vulcans did not outwardly stare, but she heard whispers as she walked down the street. After a few weeks in the city, she had grown used to the attention her ears warranted that she receive. The walk from her apartment to the Academy building was only a few minutes, but trying to weave through the crowds made the journey a little longer. When she finally arrived, Rosalina had to speed walk in order to reach her lecture on time. This was the first of five designed to assimilate the new students to life at the Academy. The first day was entirely dedicated to ensuring they knew where everything was, when and what they could access as first years and what their lecturers expected of them. She was the last to arrive. Sitting awkwardly down on the front row, she listened to the speech, feeling the stares of the surrounding Vulcans boring into her skin. She unlocked her Padd to make notes, typing a request for JARVIS to record the lectures she attended so she could listen again later that day.

 

They were welcomed to the Academy, given Padds with timetables and maps programmed into them and sent on their way. After an hour of sitting, her legs felt strange as she walked from the lecture theatre. Looking at her timetable, she headed in the direction of the science laboratories. Dodging the crowds, she arrived seconds before the tutor. A group of 15 Vulcans stood along the back of the room, seemingly waiting to be assigned seats. When the tutor entered, he directed them to sit in their designated seat. Glancing at her Padd, she whispered for JARVIS to bring up her seat number. Just as it flashed on the screen, the tutor spoke.

 

_“It appears there is a problem, Miss …?”_

 

_“Stark, sir. I apologise, I did not realise my seat was pre-assigned.”_

 

She walked to her desk, near the front of the room. Taking her seat, she arranged her Padds on the desk and looked back to the tutor. The rest of the students were staring at her, expressionless. She sensed intrigue and a hint of anger emanating from her fellow students.

 

_“We shall begin by introducing ourselves to the group. This class is small so I may ensure the safety of each of you when conducting experiments. I am Professor Haadok.”_

 

Each of the students stood and introduced themselves, going up and down each column of benches. Finally it was her turn. She stood, turning her body to face the group. They all stared at her, the tutor included.

 

 _“My name is Rosalina Stark.”_ She said, taking her seat again.

 

Professor Haadok looked at his Padd, tapping the screen and raising his head to look directly at her.

 

“I do not believe you are on my class list.” He stated calmly.

 

With all 16 pairs of eyes staring, she pulled her Padd towards her. Feeling slightly awkward, she spoke. “JARVIS, please read me my current location and designated room for this session.”

 

_“Indeed, Miss Stark. I can confirm you are in the right room, and seat. Can I be of any further assistance?”_

 

“No thank you, JARVIS. That will be all.” Sliding the Padd back into its place, she looked up at the now astonished Professor. _“I am assured that I am in the correct room.”_

 

 _“You will find your name on my class register.”_ He said, holding his Padd out to her.

 

She stood, closing the gap between herself and the Professor. Careful to avoid accidental contact, she took the Padd and tapped it, the screen coming to life. Scanning down the list of names, she realised that she had never seen her own name written in Vulcan script before. She found the section with student’s names beginning with R and selected it, doing the same with those beginning in S. Reading through both sets of results, she found only one name she didn’t recognise. Selecting it, she handed the Padd back.

 

_“This must be me, Professor. I confess I have never seen my name written in Vulcan script before. I apologise for the delay.”_

 

She remained standing as he read the name, returning to her seat when he gave her a nod. The rest of the day’s sessions went without incident; upon her return home, she found she had a message from Spock. She smiled, pressing play as she headed to the kitchen to heat the last of Lady Amanda’s Plomeek soup. She was slightly surprised to hear Spock speaking Standard.

 

“I trust your first day at the Academy was acceptable. My week has been suitably mundane thus far, with few challenging tasks. After my first Computing lab session, the tutor asked me to assist him with programming the Kobayashi Maru test. I have done some research, and it would seem that the aim is to make the test unbeatable; an interesting challenge. I have a meeting with the Dean of the Academy tomorrow, hopefully regarding the possibility of my advancing to the class above. You were correct in assuming I would need to do so. I look forward to hearing about your misadventures at the Academy. My mother fears you will not easily make acquaintance with your classmates, as she worries the same for me. I hope to hear from you soon.”

 

By the time the recording was over, her soup was warmed. Rosalina hadn’t been brave enough to venture out to get a meal yet. ‘Perhaps when I make some friends’ she thought, settling down in the chair near the window. She pressed play on the Comm again, listening to Spock’s message a few more times before responding.

 

* * *

 

 

The first few months at the VSA had been tough, but Rosalina was finally settled into Academy life. She no longer received stares as she walked through the buildings, and whispering had reduced to a minimum as news of her proficiency in Vulcan spread. She had no scheduled lessons that day, so settled for going to the Genetics lab to run some tests for her project. There was no one else there, so she set up the equipment on two desks, giving her enough room to make notes next to each as she went. After she had commented on the eerie silences in a call, her father had sent a file of music to her phone. It was mainly the classic rock Tony favoured when he worked, but Pepper had added some Beethoven and Mozart to the list.

 

Putting her headphones on, she pressed shuffle on her phone. The familiar guitar chords of ‘Shoot to Thrill’ rang in her ears, and she got to work. She remembered when she was younger her father had shown her the footage of him blowing up various caches of weapons held by terrorists that someone had set to this song. By all accounts, he loved the idea and decided to play music when he went on missions after that, insisting to both Pepper and Director Fury that it helped him concentrate. Tony had confided to her that it added “over 9,000% more badassery” to his excursions.

 

After half an hour of working, a beep sounded in her ear over the music. Pausing it, she looked up to see a Vulcan woman stood in the doorway. She recognised her from lab, but couldn’t remember her name. Taking her headphones off, she straightened up. The two stared at one another for a few moments until the Vulcan spoke.

 

_“It was not my intention to disturb you. I shall find another room in which to complete my work.”_

 

As she turned to leave, Rosalina found herself calling to her. “No! Oh, um. _My work has not been disturbed. You are welcome to work in this room with me.”_

 

The other woman nodded, walking back into the room and setting up her equipment on the benches next to Rosalina’s. Once she had finished, she turned to her.

 

_“I am T’Mir. Your project is on schedule, you do not need to be here.”_

_“I am Rosalina. I wish to finish ahead of schedule, that I may correct any errors in my work before the deadline.”_

 

T’Mir surveyed the work in front of her and seemed confused. _“I believed your assigned project was surveying the effects of Andorian diseases on Tribbles’ breeding?”_

 

_“You are correct. Many of the less common diseases are not available, so I am culturing them myself.”_

 

Nodding, T’Mir resumed her own work. Rosalina put her headphones back on and pressed play. Three hours passed, both women working in silence. Rosalina felt her stomach rumble for the second time, inwardly cursing herself for not bringing any food with her. Sensing a presence next to her, she turned to find T’Mir surprisingly close to her. Removing her headphones, she waited for her to speak.

 

_“You are hungry. There is a restaurant five minutes’ walk from here. We can eat there if you are amenable?”_

 

Astonished, Rosalina nodded thanks. Instructing JARVIS to keep a close eye on the experiments, she removed her protective lab gear and walked out with T’Mir. This was her first foray into the real life of a Vulcan student. Maybe even the beginnings of a friendship. Internally chastising herself for being overly optimistic, she stepped out into the Vulcan sun with her new acquaintance.


	10. Chapter 10

 

The restaurant T’Mir had taken her to that day had quickly become Rosalina’s favourite. They served dishes from all across the Federation, and their Plomeek soup was almost as good as Amanda’s. Almost. As the months had gone by, more of T’Mir’s friends joined them. Rosalina now found herself sat at the table with 8 others, all students at the VSA. Only three were in her classes, but the others she had grown to know over their lunch breaks. One, Solkar, was studying computing and had let her into the labs on numerous occasions to allow her access to the Academy databanks. They were heading back there after lunch- JARVIS needed an update, and her computer at home didn’t have the required power to do it.

 

As they approached the doors, a group of older students came down the corridor. Solkar seemed more rushed to get into the lab than usual, unlocking it with haste and almost pushing Rosalina through the door. Seeing her surprise, he offered an explanation.

 

_“That group are displeased at your acceptance into the academy. One of their number has a cousin who was not granted a place. Your presence infuriates them; a constant reminder that a human was considered more worthy than a Vulcan.”_

 

She was surprised that Vulcans would hold a grudge against someone for such petty reasons and was about to speak when the individuals in question walked through the door. One glared at her, turning to Solkar.

 

_“You are an associate of the human whore? I should have known. A member of your clan would be sympathetic to creatures below his own status.”_

 

The ‘whore’ remark had irritated her, but sounded familiar. She remembered Spock’s tales of his childhood tormentors and realised the Vulcan before her bore a vague resemblance to Sofek. Stepping forwards to Solkar’s defence, her path was blocked by one of the others. Stepping around him, she stood directly between Solkar and the older Vulcan.

 

_“My apologies, I do not believe we have been acquainted. It appears you have taken issue with my presence.”_

 

He sneered down at her. _“I am Stron. You do not belong here.”_

 

Feigning innocence, she looked up at him _. “I understand that I am not allowed access to these labs. However, I require the use of the computers here. I am not doing any harm, to my knowledge.”_

 

_“You misunderstand me, human. You do not belong on this planet. In this Academy. Your presence here denies my cousin his rightful place…”_

_“Ah, Sofek? I have made his acquaintance. I believe he is working at the embassy. A very worthy cause; maintaining peace in the Federation. I am sure his assistance is invaluable.”_ She smiled, walking over to a computer and starting it up.

 

There was an astonished silence behind her. Suddenly, Solkar’s face slammed into the desk next to her. Stron was stood above him, his hand pressed into the other Vulcan’s neck in a nerve pinch. ‘At least he will be okay’ she thought as Stron rounded on her. She stood quickly, the stool flying across the room as she turned to face Stron. The others encircled her, preventing her escape. Panic rose in her when she counted them; 1 human versus 4 Vulcans didn’t sound like very good odds.

 

_“You have brought my clan shame, and shall pay the price. You will learn not to anger me again, human scum.”_

 

As Stron leapt towards her, she swiftly moved aside and swung her leg into his, the element of surprise allowing her to send him crashing to the ground. Her shin warmed with pain at the contact. Before she had time to think, an enraged Stron was back on his feet, stalking towards her flanked by two of his companions. Rosalina could hear another Vulcan coming up behind her, and using his chest as a springboard, she launched herself over the heads of her attackers, grabbing the phaser strapped to her leg as she sailed through the air. She fought to still her trembling hands as she aimed it at Stron, backing away from the Vulcans. His lips pulled up into a snarl as he strode towards her, a hand coming up and smacking the phaser out of her hands. The force sent it flying before it clattered to the floor on the other side of the room.

 

_“No weapons, Stark. We will see just how weak humans are.”_

 

At that, three of his companions started towards her. As she deflected their blows, Rosalina felt her arms and legs bruising under the force. The strikes were coming faster, and a kick to the back of her knee sent her to the floor. At this, the attacks stopped.

 

_“Not so confident now, human. You are inferior in every way.”_

 

Anger boiled under the surface as Stron continued to speak, walking menacingly towards Solkar’s unconscious form. Throwing caution to the wind, she hurled herself towards him, screaming Klingon profanities. ‘Hopefully that will get someone’s attention’ she thought as she approached the Vulcan. She leapt the last two feet, flinging herself into the firm mass of Vulcan. Stron wobbled backwards but quickly regained his footing, using her momentum to slam her against the closest memory bank. His hand closed around her throat, holding her a good foot off the ground, his grip tightening as Rosalina’s legs flailed helplessly beneath her.

 

_“Pathetic human,”_ Stron snarled. _“You thought I would let you live? You will pay for what you have don…”_

 

He was cut off by a flash of blue light. The grip on her throat suddenly stopped as Stron fell to the ground, Rosalina collapsing to her knees beside him. Her throat stinging as she gasped for air, she lifted her head to see Solkar pointing the phaser at the rest of the Vulcans. He circled round to her side, glancing at her briefly before speaking in Standard.

 

“Are you wounded?”

 

She looked up at him, trying to stand. “Not mortally. Thank you, Solkar.”

 

As he helped her to her feet, the door crashed open and five security guards rushed in. They insisted upon taking her to the infirmary, where her bruises were quickly taken care of. After that, her friends insisted on walking with her to each lecture to avoid any more incidents.

 

* * *

 

 

As the academic year drew to a close, it became necessary for Rosalina to stay at the Academy later to finish assignments and projects for her classes. What little free time she had remaining was spent travelling to and from home, eating, and sleeping. Occasionally, she had time during meals to call Spock. They discussed final exams, holiday plans and their general experiences. He had been concerned by Rosalina’s account of Stron’s attack, but had agreed not to tell her father after he had been assured she was not seriously harmed. Spock’s advancement through the classes hadn’t gone unnoticed by his fellow students, many despising him for his academic prowess; he had completed three years of study in the space of just one. He planned to board the USS Aldrin after finishing the remainder of his courses. He had already been approached by Captain, Christopher Pike, with a request to join the crew as one of his science officers.

 

Her final exams were starting the next day, and Rosalina couldn’t decide between last minute revision and sleep. Finally deciding that the latter would be more beneficial, she began her walk home. It was getting dark, the streets of ShiKahr disappearing in the shadows. A sense of unease fell over her as she walked, speeding up to reach her apartment building faster. Swiping the keycard, she almost ran to the lift. As she turned to face the closing doors, she saw the source of her unease. Stron stood on the other side of the outer doors, glaring at her. On reaching her room, she decided that from then on, she would fly the suit to and from the Academy building.

 

With the Academy so close to home, she hadn’t needed to use the suit yet. When she pulled the case out of her wardrobe, her confusion as to its incredible weight arose one more. Unlocking it with a thumbprint, she was astonished to see a large stash of flare canisters stuffed into the case. A note on top read ‘For when you need to deal with the bullies. –Dad x’ Plucking the canisters out one by one, she asked JARVIS to assemble the suit by her bed. The pieces of the suit flew out, joining together on the other side of her bed. There was a strange headset at the bottom of the case; lifting it out, she recognised it as the one her father used to remotely control the Mark 42. Smiling, she placed it on her head. The suit immediately began following her mental commands. Sending it to the kitchen, she settled down with some notes as the suit prepared her tea. ‘I could get used to this’ she thought, the smell of cooking drifting towards her.

 

* * *

 

 

As a celebration for the end of exam season, Rosalina decided to hold a get-together at her apartment. T’Mir had seemed delighted when she suggested it over dinner the previous week, her new friends unanimously agreeing that it was an excellent idea. Upon hearing her plans, Amanda gave Rosalina the family recipe for her famous Plomeek soup, even gifting her ingredients from her own garden to make it with. On the night, Rosalina was busy preparing her flat for the sudden influx of guests. After recording Amanda’s instructions, JARVIS was left in control of the food preparations, the suit’s cooking prowess far greater than her own. Hearing the doorbell chime, she hurried to the door. Seeing on the screen that it was T’Mir and the other women, she buzzed them up, the five arriving moments later. They got to the main space before she had chance to explain about the robot in her kitchen.

 

“What is that?” one of the women asked.

 

_“A robotic suit; my father designed it…”_

 

“In your home, we speak Standard, Rosalina. You spend all your time speaking Vulcan. As you would say, just relax!”

 

She smiled as the bell rang again, one of her other guests letting the men in. By the time they arrived, the food was ready and being set out by both Rosalina and the suit. The evening went off without a hitch, their robotic waiter serving as a source of mild entertainment as they ate. Once they had finished, T’Mir spotted the chess set and challenged one of the men to a match. An impromptu tournament began, with T’Mir ending in pole position. Solkar sat on the sofa, playing the Ka’athyra softly as they conversed over drinks. When they all left, Rosalina finally felt as though she had made this desert planet her home. She contemplated the events of the past year, hoping that her assumptions of her keeping up with her classmates were correct. The results of the exams were due to be released the next morning. After putting the last of the food in the stasis unit, she dragged herself to her room, switching of the lights with a wave of her hand. Sighing as she lay on her bed, exhausted, she drifted off to sleep. Her light breathing and the quiet whirring of the suit as it tidied up was all that broke the silence.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be going through and improving chapters, including this one, in the coming months. If anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear them!  
> Also, I'm just going to post all the rest of the chapters of this story so I can post the sequel. Hope you enjoy!

With the midterm exams of her second year well under way, Rosalina was really feeling the pressure. With Spock out in deep space, she had nobody to confide in. Revealing her struggles to her other Vulcan friends seemed like a confession of inferiority, and she didn’t want to worry her parents. Lady Amanda had worked out that she was stressed, sending her some more vanilla ice cream from the market. Although the replicator could make her any food she wanted, the real thing still tasted much nicer. While she was sat on her sofa with a bowl, a video call came through from Spock. These were very few and far between these days, so she answered immediately. He was sat in a white room, still in his science blues. After raising their hands in the Ta’al, she spoke.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Lieutenant?”

 

“I am aware that you are having exam troubles?”

 

He’d obviously been talking to his mother. “Nothing to really worry about, it’s just the usual stress. At least I’m used to how you Vulcans do things now. Last year was a nightmare.”

 

“Indeed. I remember you saying you were ‘this close to having a meltdown.’” he held his index finger and thumb a few millimetres apart in front of his face, then dropped his hand again. “I remember having a similar feeling at Starfleet.”

 

They discussed exams briefly, the conversation quickly turning to Spock’s adventures aboard the USS Aldrin. Midway through his recollection of a drama surrounding the collection of rock samples, his face suddenly changed. His expression went from jovial to serious, seemingly staring at something behind her.

 

“I do not mean to alarm you, Rosalina, but it appears that there is someone in your kitchen.”

 

Turning around she signalled for the lights to come on. Her suit was standing at the sink washing up, turning to face her when the lights came on.

 

“Ah, your suit; my apologies if you were worried, but I was unaware that its primary function was that of housemaid.”

 

“That’s fine,” she laughed. “JARVIS does most of my cooking and cleaning now. It leaves me more time to revise.”

 

“Ah yes, your motivations for enlisting the help of your AI friend is completely logical. How is JARVIS?”

 

_“I am very well, Mr S’chn T’gai. Thank you for asking.”_

 

There were discussions on computing, Spock asking her advice on a new scenario for the Kobayashi Maru test. They were discussing the merits of using binary over CSS coding for the graphics when a buzzer sounded, signalling the end of their conversation. The signal was cut after brief goodbyes and Rosalina went to finish off a paper for her Genetics Professor.

 

* * *

 

 

Rosalina’s second holiday of the year had arrived, and she was on her way back to Earth for a week’s visit. Her father had warned her the night before to expect a lot of press on her arrival. This was the first time she had gone back to Earth since she left to attend the Vulcan Science Academy, though her parents had made a visit during the longer ‘summer’ break. As Rosalina walked to the communal area of the ship, she spotted a familiar face on one of the viewing screens. They were only a few hours from Earth, so the ship could now pick up the signals from TV stations on the planet. This screen was displaying a news program. There were interviews with various people, avidly awaiting her arrival. The news reporter was on the screen again, trying to engage a disgruntled Happy who was standing behind a barrier, pointedly ignoring the crowd behind him. She smiled, noting his position in the crowd so she could find him easily when they landed. As she continued to watch, a small Vulcan child walked up to her.

 

“That human lady is talking about you.” He said, indicating the screen.

 

“Indeed she is young man.” She responded, an image of her face popping up on the screen.

 

“She says you live on Vulcan now. Why is that?”

 

“I attend the Vulcan Science Academy. It was logical for me to move, as the journey from Earth to Vulcan is far too long to warrant my staying.”

 

Nodding, the boy turned to his mother. _“Her logic is very good, mother. She must be highly intelligent for a human.”_

 

The woman had a hint of embarrassment when she called for her son to return to her side. _“Stop bothering the lady, Vanik. That is impolite.”_ Turning to Rosalina, her face remained blank. “I apologise for my son’s enquiries.”

 

_“His inquisitive nature is commendable. He shall make a brilliant scientist one day with a mind as sharp as his. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Vanik. Your pronunciation of Standard is impeccable.”_

_“As is your Vulcan, Miss.”_

 

There was an announcement informing the passengers that they were entering Earth’s atmosphere and should return to their cabins. Rosalina gave a bow of farewell, collecting her bags and sitting patiently on the bed of her cabin for a steward to direct her off the ship. When the ship landed and the door opened, she could hear a dull roar. A few minutes later, a steward escorted her from the cabin, her one small suitcase in hand. As she walked down the corridor, the roaring intensified; discernable now as the chatter of reporters she had grown unused to during her time on Vulcan. They were a very private race, so there were no paparazzi following her around. Stepping out of the craft, Rosalina nodded her thanks to the stewards and descended the stairs, the noise reaching a crescendo as she did. Ignoring the reporters’ attempts to get her attention, she made a beeline for Happy, stood just inside the barrier keeping the crowd at bay. He created a path through with his body, pushing people and equipment aside that she might pass through. When they reached the car, the door slammed behind her, leaving near silence in its wake. Another burst of screaming was cut short by Happy closing the driver’s door firmly.

 

“Where to now, Miss Stark?”

 

“Home please, Happy. And may I say what a pleasure it is to see you again.”

 

“Likewise, Miss Stark. The whole team is waiting for you at Stark Tower; you can get a hover-copter home from there.”

 

“Thank you, Happy.”

 

With that, the car purred into life, pulling away from the station and its throng of reporters, speeding to the motorway and New York beyond.

 

* * *

 

 

Her week with the Avengers was drawing to a close. Training with Natasha and Clint had taken on a jovial tone since her return, exchanging banter as well as blows. Rosalina had joined Bruce and Tony in the workshop to help with their latest project, and meals were spent recalling notable events over the past few months of their lives. After the rigidity of Vulcan society, it was nice to unwind with her close friends and family. On her last day, Rosalina spent all her time with Pepper, who had been working for most of her trip. Walking through the glass doors of Stark HQ, she was greeted by the senior board members and department heads, all asking about her studies and plans for after her graduation. Her Vulcan mask worked well to avoid intrusive questions; it also allowed for answers of one syllable to be acceptable. Upon reaching her mother’s office, Rosalina looked around. The only noticeable change to the decorations was a large portrait of the family hanging on the wall. Seating herself on the guest side of the desk, she awaited her mother’s instruction.

 

“Why don’t you go and have a bit of a look round, sweetheart? I’ve got meetings all morning, so we can meet up for lunch then do something this afternoon. Is that okay?”

 

“That is perfect, mother. It has been quite a while since I last went on a tour of the business; I am sure I shall find the experience quite agreeable.”

 

Seeing the mild sadness in her mother’s eyes, she stood up and left before she did anything else to upset her. She knew her mother was unused to her cold, calculated speech pattern and had tried to sound less Vulcan, but after nearly two years of living amongst them it was rather difficult. After the onslaught of questions in the lobby, she decided the best course of action would be to visit the different departments. Walking to the private CEO’s lift, she selected the Research and Development department. The car hurtled downwards, and then jolted in what she assumed to be a westerly direction. As soon as the new technology was available, Tony had installed this high-speed route between all the buildings in the Stark complex. If he wanted to get from one end of the business park to the other, it now only took five minutes. Arriving at the building, she walked out of the quiet of the lift car and straight into a bustling corridor.

 

_“Lab room seven is in lockdown. Please make you way to the decontamination rooms.”_ FRIDAY’s voice came over the PA system.

 

‘Just my luck’ she thought. As she heard the decontamination process begin, the lift doors closed, beginning a deep cleanse itself for whatever it was leaking out of lab seven. Instinct took her against the crowd, walking towards the danger. Everyone was too busy getting themselves to safety to notice her, except one.

 

_“Miss Stark, I recommend you turn back. The situation cannot be contained much longer.”_

 

“What situation would that be, FRIDAY?”

 

As the words left her mouth, she saw it. A technician was running around, lab coat ablaze. She calmly grabbed a fire extinguisher, firing it at him as she passed. The flames dying down, she turned her attention to the source. A new phaser design attached to a robotic arm, writhing out of control. It fired an incendiary round periodically. Crouching behind a workbench, she shouted to the technician.

 

“Is it meant to be shooting fire?”

 

A weak voice replied. “Yes. Well, not quite like that. I don’t know what’s wrong!”

 

Spotting the control panel for the robotic element, she decided to make a dash for it. Leaping across the gap between desks, she felt the searing hot flame graze her thigh. Reaching the control panel, she opened the diagnostics records, her eyes blurring as they scanned the lines of code for errors. The last command had been entered not five minutes ago, and was drastically wrong. A rookie mistake, and easily fixed. The same could not be said for the damage done to the lab itself. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she got to work, shouting back to the lab tech on the floor.

 

“Have you had an apprentice in here?”

 

“Yes, why do you ask?”

 

“I assume they were allowed access to this control panel?”

 

“Yes, they were in charge of programming the arm.”

 

After a few more taps of the keys, the arm stopped firing, allowing Rosalina to limp over and tentatively pluck the phaser from its grip. Disarming the weapon, she placed it on a desk and went to help the technician. She pulled him upright, quickly checking the extent of his injuries. A few surface burns and heavy damage to his lab coat, but otherwise alright. He seemed to be doing the same for her, his face screwing into a wince when his gaze fell on her leg.

 

“Thank you for the help,” he said, steadying himself on a desk as he shook debris from his hair.

 

“You would not have required assistance if you would have followed company protocol regarding apprentices and expensive equipment.”

 

A confused look crossed the man’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door to the lab burst open to reveal a greying man before he was able to.

 

“Dear god, Jenkins, what happened here? This is a fine mess!” seeing Rosalina at his side, the man’s eyebrows shot up. “What is this young lady doing here without a lab coat on? I assume you are the culprit?”

 

Shocked at his tone, the technician called Jenkins began to splutter, attempting to speak. Rosalina raised her hand, quieting him. She squared up to the intruder before speaking.

 

“May I enquire as to why you believe I am to blame for this?”

 

Laughing, the man turned to Jenkins. “Can you believe this girl? As if it wasn’t bad enough that we have one running the company, now they’re in the labs!”

 

Anger boiled under the surface, but she didn’t allow it to show. “You blame my gender for my perceived incompetence?” she calmly challenged, the quiet assistant wincing slightly.

 

“Perceived? I hardly think I’m the only one thinking this! I’ll have you know this department is _my_ department. If you want to get a job here, it’s my recommendation to on high that’ll get it for you! Who do you think you are, challenging a senior staff member like that?”

 

The man had been on the verge of shouting in her face, his own reddening with every word. ‘No doubt my calm demeanour is a source of his anger’ she thought, allowing a silence to fall over the room. Staring him dead in the eyes, a smirk spread on her lips.

 

“I might ask you the same, sir. What is your name?”

 

He laughed in disbelief, turning to look at both his assistant and Jenkins. “The audacity of this one! Doctor Shoredich. And you?”

 

“I recognise that name- Richard Shoredich? I remember father complaining about you. One of the old guard; they won’t get rid of you because you’d kick up too much of a fuss.”

 

The force of the slap combined with her unpreparedness and injured leg meant she flew backwards. Her mask of calm gone, she openly glared at him. Wiping the trickle of blood from her now split lip as she stood, she fought to hide her slight limp as she walked back to him, (speaking) in Klingon.

 

_“I do not recommend violence against the only daughter of your employer.”_

 

Confusion mixed with the anger already on his face. “You’re a linguist- what the hell was she just saying?”

 

He span to his assistant, his face falling when he saw Pepper standing in the doorway, a stern look on her face. Rosalina recognised it as her ‘CEO mode’; even the great Tony Stark didn’t dare mess with her when she had that look on her face. She walked calmly into the room, her signature heels clicking on the tiled floor as she surveyed the burnt walls and equipment in the lab.

 

“Would you care to explain how this lab managed to sustain so much damage, Doctor Shoredich?”

 

He visibly straightened before launching into a speech about how he had gotten the situation under control and was now confronting the “foolish intern” responsible for the damage. As he ranted and raved, Pepper’s gaze flicked up and down her daughter’s body, hovering momentarily over her injuries before she turned back to the red-faced Shoredich.

 

“So you believe this young lady is to blame for the programming error?”

 

“Yes, Mrs Stark. And as you can see from her attire, she obviously has a blatant disregard for safety protocol too.”

 

Pepper now turned to face Rosalina. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“I came down to the labs on my tour, when FRIDAY started announcing a lockdown. I decided to see what was going on.” Ignoring her mother’s chastising look, she motioned towards the lab tech beside her. “Mr Jenkins here was hiding behind a desk when I arrived, and told me that an apprentice had been placed in charge of programming the firing arm. I went to the control panel and fixed the programming, disabled the arm and placed the phaser on that desk before tending to Jenkins’ wounds.”

 

Pepper’s gaze followed her daughter’s hand as she pointed to the weapon in question. Nodding, she turned to face Jenkins, who corroborated Rosalina’s report of the incident.

 

“And how did you get that split lip, dear?”

 

Rosalina avoided her mother’s gaze. Pepper then looked at each of the others in the room in turn, silently asking them the same question. Seeing that no one was going to tell her, she huffed out a breath and pulled up the footage on her Padd. Anger flashed across her face when she got to the part where Shoredich had slapped Rosalina across the room. Crossing her hands behind her back, Pepper looked to the door and called into the corridor.

 

“Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to escort Doctor Shoredich off the premises.” She turned to face her daughter again. “Your father will be happy when we tell him that we finally fired Richard, don’t you think sweetheart?”

 

A horrified look of recognition fell over his face as two security officers entered the room, swiftly fastening handcuffs around his wrists. With a nod from Rosalina, one of the men kicked the backs of Shoredich’s knees, bringing his head down to her shoulder height. She looked down at him, a smile spreading on her face.

 

“To answer your earlier question, my name is Rosalina Stark. The next time you raise a hand to me, Doctor Shoredich, will be the last time you _have_ hands.”

 

With that, she directed a curt nod at the security officers who pulled him roughly to his feet, dragging him from the room as Pepper began to fuss over her daughter’s injuries.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/01/16  
> I've started the updates of these chapters, and introduced FRIDAY as an extremely minor character. I thought it would make sense that Tony had a separate AI in charge of proceedings at Stark Industries, rather than have JARVIS running absolutely everything. This is the only mention of anything from Age of Ultron; the rest of the story is canonically in line with Phase 1 as it can be in these circumstances. Let me know what you think of the changes!


	12. Chapter 12

The past few months at the Vulcan Science Academy had been increasingly challenging. It was not the subjects themselves, but the difficulties arising from her unfamiliarity with some Vulcan computing techniques that Rosalina found most infuriating. Although her main learning was focussed on Genetics Studies, her side project in Advanced Computing was taking up more and more of her time. She had spent the past day working on a programme to aid in the organisation of Academy supplies; she had found their current system to be significantly lacking. One line of coding in particular was irritating her, so to calm herself she went to work on a new update for JARVIS. Pulling out her Padd, she began to type. This update had been in the works for a while, allowing JARVIS to beam the suit aboard any ship. The idea had come to her during an excursion with the Ambassador to an interplanetary Science Fair, where she had met a rather interesting Starfleet Engineer, Montgomery Scott. She was so busy tapping away that she didn’t notice the Computing professor watching over her shoulder until she spoke.

 

_“Miss Stark, may I enquire as to what you are doing?”_

 

Startled, Rosalina almost dropped the Padd. _“My apologies, Professor Senva, I was unaware of your presence…”_

_“That is acceptable. I see you were preoccupied with your work. I have not seen this project before.”_

_“It is extracurricular, professor. An improvement to an existing system I have used for many years.”_

_“May I have a demonstration?”_

 

Although confused by her request, Rosalina obliged, bringing up the JARVIS interface on her Padd.

 

**_“Do you wish me to save the changes made to the previous document, Miss Stark?”_ **

 

“Affirmative”

 

As the saving bar popped up on the screen, Rosalina risked a glance at the Vulcan beside her. She seemed genuinely impressed. Turning to her, she asked if there was anything in particular she wanted to see.

 

_“Any of the system’s capabilities.”_

 

Changing the language settings to Vulcan- an upgrade made shortly before her initial departure from Earth- she continued with her demonstration. As they were the only two in the lab, she called for the suit. Minutes of waiting later, the handle turned and in it walked. The surprise showed on her teacher’s face for a few moments before disappearing beneath the Vulcan veneer. Testing the waters, Rosalina extended her free arm, shaking her sleeve down to her elbow.

 

“JARVIS, please send the left forearm gauntlet.”

 

And over it flew, opening and clasping over her bare arm. Professor Senva seemed impressed by that.

 

“Please demonstrate how this works.”

 

Placing the Padd down on the desk, she moved forwards, leaving the Professor to sit on the stool she had just vacated.

 

 _“In my home on Earth, this system operates the entire family home. It was initially developed by my father, but he has allowed me to make additions of my own over the years.”_ Removing the flowing gown she wore, she was left in one of her cooling catsuits, similar to her Aunt Natasha’s. _“To guide the components of the suit to their correct location, signals are sent from small metal disks embedded into the catsuit.”_

 

She demonstrated by calling the suit to her, jumping and twisting in the air in mock battle to make it more interesting. Catching the helmet in her hand, she turned back to her now astonished professor. She walked back over, holding the helmet.

 

_“In the helmet itself there are voice activated sequences, controlled by JARVIS. This way, one can continue to make calls and operate other suits whilst in flight.”_

_“Demonstrate.”_

 

Putting the helmet atop her Padd, she walked a way back from her teacher and started the boosters. Hovering a few inches above the ground, she could see slight charring on the floor and immediately stopped. The professor stood, gathering the helmet and Rosalina’s belongings in her arms.

 

_“I believe a true demonstration of this suit’s capabilities would be best staged outside.”_

 

With that she walked out of the room, indicating for Rosalina to follow. She scooped up her robe, walking clumsily down the corridor. The suit wasn’t really designed to walk quietly in. Once outside the building, she noticed her belongings neatly stacked on a decorative rock, but no Professor Senva. She looked around, spotting a large group heading towards her. When they reached her, Professor Senva was at the front.

 

_“I believed the technology would be of interest to my colleagues. Please, continue your demonstration.”_

 

Nodding, Rosalina called the helmet to her. Once it was in place she ascended, flying in loops, dodging between buildings and rocks, showing off the dexterity of the suit. Feeling rather daring, she flew up high, instructing JARVIS to eject her from the suit. As she fell, she was certain she could hear an audible gasp. Throwing her hand out, she summoned one of the gauntlets. Using the booster to slow her fall, she called for the boot with her opposite leg. Now with two limbs safely encased in armour, she called the rest of the suit. It assembled fully just seconds before she reached ground level, all four boosters working to slow her descent to a snail’s pace. When the visor slid up, she found what seemed to be the entire faculty of the VSA gathered before her; certainly more than when she began. Bowing awkwardly, she stepped out of it, picking up her robe and throwing it back on. She now stood next to the figure of her suit, the surrounding Vulcans erupting into a round of applause. Well, as much as Vulcans ‘erupted’ into any display of emotion.

 

 _“I wish to express my gratitude for your demonstration, Miss Stark. It is clear your talents lie not only in the study of genetics, but engineering and computing. This suit, of all your technologies, I find to be most fascinating. I congratulate you on these developments.”_ The voice was that of Orsak, the Vulcan minister who presided over the decision to admit her to the Academy.

 

Bowing her gratitude, she continued to converse with the other faculty members, all ‘fascinated’ by the earth technology stood before them. With Orsak’s approval, the suit became a source of intrigue for many at the Academy, students and faculty alike.

 

 

Sat in her apartment revising for final exams, Rosalina did not expect to receive a call from Spock. Accepting it, an image of her old friend clad in Starfleet Academy greys surprised her, the stripes on this new uniform even more so.

 

“Hello there, Commander? You’re a commander now?”

 

“Indeed. I received a promotion for my service aboard the USS Aldrin.”

 

“That uniform looks new…”

 

“It is. I have accepted a job as an instructor here at the Academy. Captain Pike tells me there is a new flagship being built, and feels my skills would be best applied to overseeing its development. I believe he has unofficially been told he will captain the vessel, and his intention is to have me as his Chief Science Officer.”

 

“That’s amazing Spock! You wouldn’t by any chance be talking about the Enterprise?”

 

Her father had called a few weeks earlier, annoyed that Starfleet wouldn’t install his new Arc Reactor propulsion technology in their flagship. “It’s perfectly safe!” he had ranted. “The only reason it’s not been tested is because they won’t let me!”

 

“You are correct. I assume your father has spoken to you about it?”

 

“Yes, though he hasn’t officially; I think it’s supposed to be top secret or something.”

 

“Of course. The Admiralty’s decision to build it rather conspicuously in the middle of Iowa has certainly helped keep the project low profile.”

 

She couldn’t help but smile at that. Spock may have inherited his father’s appearance and scientific mind, but his mother’s wit was definitely there. The conversation continued, focussed on the progress of the build. Pike had taken Spock to see it on one of his recruiting missions, and it was by all accounts an impressive ship. The framework was still under construction, so it would be another few years before it was finally finished. When the time came, Spock would be overseeing the outfit of the science department; he had the pick of Stark technology, equipment and instruments. His experience with the notoriously difficult Tony Stark would also come in handy. By the time their conversation drew to a close, Spock promising to keep her updated on the ship’s progress, it was rather late. Rosalina settled down to sleep, dreaming of starships and space exploration.

 

 

The results of the second year’s final years were due to be posted in a few minutes. Meaning Rosalina would know her grades in exactly three minutes and forty six seconds. She sat nervously on the end of the sofa in the S’chn T’gai living area, Lady Amanda making tea for them both. Sarek was on a trip to the Embassy on Earth, visiting various social events at Starfleet as well as his son. In an attempt to take her mind off the wait, she went into the kitchen to help Amanda. Serving the tea, the women walked out to the seating area on the balcony overlooking the Vulcan tundra. Rosalina had always found the view to be astonishing. They discussed Spock’s new found passion for teaching until they heard a buzz from inside. Abandoning all Vulcan decorum, she leapt from the recliner and back into the house, scooping up her Padd quickly. Resisting the urge to look, she walked back out to a laughing Amanda.

 

“Oh, that was quite a sight to see! Go on then dear, let’s have a look.”

 

Downloading the document, Rosalina scanned the class list to find her place. Strangely she didn’t see her name, so she went back up to the top to look again. And there it was. An astonished gasp escaped Amanda’s lips as both women stared wide eyed at the league table. Third. She had come third. In a class full of Vulcans, she came out third. As she swiped dreamily to her personal results card, Amanda moved over to sit with her on the recliner. Her scores were consistently in the high ninety percent, with her final Advanced Computing score coming in at 100.2%. That confused her greatly.

 

“I haven’t had a 100% score in computing all year, why would they give me that…”

 

She tapped to see the tutor comments for the subject, hoping they would shed some light on the situation. In it, Professor Senva said she had upped her grade due to ‘impeccable programming skills and intuitive use of existing technology’. Maybe she meant the suit…

 

“That must be from your demonstration a few months back, dear.”

 

So Amanda agreed. It would be logical, therefore, to assume they were correct. How peculiar. As Amanda went in to get more tea, she sent the documents to her father, and to Spock. ‘He’ll find that bit interesting, I’m sure’ she thought as she clicked send. If Spock came to the same conclusion as she and Amanda, she would have no choice but to accept it as the truth. A second cup of tea appeared in front of her as she relaxed with Amanda, watching the sun sink beneath the sand dunes.


	13. Chapter 13

Now in her third and penultimate year at the Vulcan Science Academy, Rosalina was getting into the swing of things again after another trip to Earth. Her father had insisted on throwing a big party at Stark Industries, with many of the Federation’s finest in attendance. She had managed to catch up with Spock and had met Captain Pike at long last. Her old friend Montgomery Scott had also tagged along, talking to her about his theories on interplanetary beaming capabilities. He was intrigued by her progress with the suit’s beaming abilities, eager to witness her progress himself. She smiled discreetly at the memory as she settled into a lecture on the IDIC philosophy, a topic she always found rather interesting.

Amanda always spoke of the prejudice she felt towards herself and Spock during his childhood, recollecting an instance where she had been driven to return to Earth for a few weeks to escape. “There is a lot of talk about this ‘Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations’, but I have witnessed little of its practice myself” she had said. Rosalina had an understanding of what she meant, having experienced the same when she first arrived on Vulcan. Repressing the memory for now, she listened intently to the Professor at the front. On her way out of the lecture theatre an hour later, she was approached by one of the younger students. She walked alongside her for a while in silence before finally speaking.

“You are Rosalina Stark.”

“Correct.”

More silence. The Vulcan woman beside her seemed to be considering how to broach the subject she wished to address.

“I have heard of your prowess in the field of engineering. Might I ask your assistance on a project?”

“Of course.” The younger Vulcan seemed pleased by this. “May I ask your name?”

“T’Pol. My cousin recommended your service. He said you have an excellent mind where computers are concerned. His name is Solkar. I believe he is an acquaintance of yours?”

Ah yes, Solkar. He had left at the end of his second year to become an apprentice pot maker. He had felt pressured by his Grandfather to pursue a career in computing, but his true passion was the ancient tradition of Vulcan pottery making. He had often indulged to her his love of the arts, sending her and their other friends gifts he had made. They were always beautiful; in earthy browns and golds, they reminded her of the desert. Coming back from her thoughts, she arranged to meet T’Pol later in the week to discuss her plans, walking across the quad to her first Genetics class of the new academic year.

 

* * *

 

 

Meetings with T’Pol were now weekly, and had been regular for some months. Rosalina’s advanced knowledge of different coding styles had delighted the Vulcan, learning from her as their respective projects progressed. Rosalina’s main subject was now Computing rather than Genetics, changed at the Academy board’s request. She worked alongside the first year student who had fast become a friend, lending assistance if and when it was needed. That was becoming increasingly rare, but each enjoyed the other’s company as they worked. The quiet tapping of their fingers on the screens was all that could be heard, Rosalina drowning out the background noise with her music.

T’Pol was curious about the clunky contraption strapped to her head, asking about it a month ago. After it was explained to be old Earth technology, she had asked to try it out. Learning that she enjoyed the music, Rosalina requested a second set from her father, stating loss of the previous set as the reason. They were, in reality, gifted to the younger pupil so they may both work and listen at the same time. T’Pol had been delighted, thanking her profusely. This was to be their last meeting as their projects were nearly completed. When T’Pol tried to return the set, Rosalina insisted she keep them.

“They are a gift. I see the music aids your concentration, and it would be illogical to take them from you when I have a pair of my own.”

After another round of thanks, the two went their separate ways, promising to keep in touch. Rosalina was content with T’Pol’s progress. She enjoyed the time spent with her, a welcome rest from the pressures of her studies. Along with Genetics and Computing, she had begun to dabble in engineering, working on different designs for her suit. So far she had three in the works, all in various stages of completion as her concentration jumped from one project to the next. When she couldn’t focus, she moved to another, utilising all her time effectively. She had adopted this practice shortly after her very first visit to Vulcan, making her short attention span work to her advantage. As she walked briskly home under the hot evening sun, her mind turned back to the suits. She sped up as an idea formed in her mind, determined to finalise it as soon as possible. ‘This could really be useful’ she thought as she sped towards home.

 

* * *

 

 

After months of work, she’d finally cracked it. Who would have thought that simply having space itself as the moving component in the equation, the problem would be solved? She excitedly called Mr Scott, highly disappointed to hear from the operator that he would be unavailable for an ‘indeterminate amount of time’. That was worrying, but she had worked quickly to apply her newly discovered technology to all four of her suits. She would have liked to have made more, but she barely had space for the ones she already had in her apartment, spacious as it was. Her personal favourite was the one she had fitted with a cloaking device. She had no real need for it, but she was still rather impressed with herself for managing to make it work at all. She had managed to beam a suit to T’Khut, Vulcan’s twin planet, and back with little incident. The picture she took of Vulcan from the planet’s surface was quite astonishing. She daren’t risk beaming herself across.

After the initial test, Rosalina’s time had been occupied with projects for her classes, extensive research and revision for her exams. The constant testing at the Academy put her under pressure which she dealt with by eating the ice cream Amanda supplied from the markets. She was far too busy to visit them herself during term time, so welcomed Amanda’s generosity. She sat on her sofa with a bowl, surrounded by research notes and textbooks, scanning them for information. The test she had tomorrow was a new format for her; the learning pits that Spock had described from his youth. She had never been in one before, but the idea seemed quite appealing. She loved to be surrounded by information and half wished she could have experienced this type of learning earlier. Finishing her ice cream, she decided that an early night would be beneficial. Handing her dirty bowl to one of the suits, she headed to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, she found herself stood in one of the pits. As the test began, projections of equations swam before her eyes, a calm voice asking succinct questions. She replied with succinct answers, turning to view the information as she went through the questions. Some seemed irrelevant, but she answered them as best she could. Judging by the philosophical questions thrown in, she deduced that the purpose of this test was to assess their thought process, not just their knowledge. After half an hour of standing and answering questions, she was tired. After giving her opinions on the merits and downfalls of Inter-planetary rules and regulations, her pit went dark. She could still see the dull glow of other learning pits over the rim of her own, telling her that she wasn’t the last to finish. In fact, judging by the intensity of the glow, she was one of the first. The steps out of the pit had not emerged from the section of wall they had disappeared into earlier, so she decided to take a seat. Crouching on the ground, she felt a weariness descend over her and dosed off.

A quiet chatter awoke her from the impromptu nap. How long had she been asleep? Thankfully it seemed as though nobody had noticed yet. She stood, brushing the creases from her robes as she ascended the steps to join her classmates. Following the crowd to the door, she noticed Sarek stood off to one side and headed towards him. She had to dodge several people as she made her way over, the Ambassador retreating into a corridor as she neared him. She took this as an invitation to follow, her pace quickening in an attempt to catch up with him. He ducked into an alcove, seating himself on a bench. Unsure as to whether she should join him in sitting, she waited for him to invite her to do so. What came next was a surprise to her.

“I am assured that you have the remainder of the day off timetable. I wish you to accompany me to the market in order to procure a gift for Amanda. Do you accept?”

His gaze was intense, but not frightening. She wondered internally what the gift was for, but was loath to ask. If the Ambassador wished to tell her, he would do so. When she accepted his invitation, he stood again, leading the way to the Ambassadorial vehicle. It was part of a convoy of three, comprised of two security vehicles and a limousine. She noticed several heads turn as Sarek himself opened the door for her, climbing into the car himself after she was seated. As the convoy set off, he turned to her.

“I assume you are curious as to the reasons behind my visit. I am unsure if you are aware, but the anniversary of my wife’s birth is in a few days. As of yet, I have been unable to think of a suitable gift for such an occasion, deciding you would be best suited to aiding me in my mission.”

His use of Standard also came as a bit of a shock to one used so much to speaking Vulcan, as she was. For the rest of the journey they conversed, discussing the many hobbies and passions of Lady Amanda in an attempt to ascertain what she would want in a gift. When they at last reached the market, Rosalina had a vague image of what she would like in her mind. The security detail watching her every move was a little unsettling, but forty minutes later and with the Ambassador’s help, she eventually selected an appropriate gift, a tapestry woven by a local artist, T’Yarehn. For her assistance, Sarek insisted upon purchasing another work for her to keep herself. Once she had been returned home, she admired the tapestry more closely. The coloured threads the artist had used were highly complementary of one another, with the IDIC symbol taking centre stage in golden thread, carefully embroidered. She sent it back to Earth, along with a Vulcan tea set made by her friend Solkar, thinking her mother would like it. After her father had sold all the priceless oil paintings in their possession, their home had been widely lacking the artistic touches Pepper craved. Perhaps some infusion of Vulcan culture into their lives would help Pepper feel closer to her daughter? Sealing the package and sending one of the suits to the mail centre with it, Rosalina could only hope the items within gave her mother some comfort.


	14. Chapter 14

When the day of Lady Amanda’s birthday arrived, Rosalina found herself being whisked away to the S’chn T’gai home. To her surprise, the car stopped at the ShiKahr shuttle station to collect a somewhat distracted Spock. They struck up a conversation about his teaching at Starfleet on the journey, Spock being uncharacteristically fidgety the whole way there. Once they reached their destination, the pair was escorted by a maid to a table set up in the centre of Lady Amanda’s rose garden. Moments later, Spock’s parents emerged, the excitement in his mother’s face evident as she viewed the scene. Sarek instructed the servants to leave them, allowing Amanda to hug their son in greeting. When Rosalina presented her gift, another of Solkar’s creations, she too received an embrace from the grateful woman. They seated themselves around the table, adorned with Amanda’s favourite snacks. Sarek was eager for the women to consume the ice cream before it melted, leaving him time to speak with his son. Spock seemed awkward, but nobody commented.

 

As they all joined in enjoying the snacks, both Sarek and Spock produced gifts of their own. The tapestry was very well received; Rosalina’s assistance in procuring said item was noted and warranted her reception of another hug. Spock pulled a photo frame out of his bag. Turning it to face the group, Amanda’s face lit up as she saw it was an analogue photo of their family, all stood together in front of Starfleet HQ. Conversation turned to recollections of the evening; Sarek had been invited to a social event a few months earlier, bringing Amanda along to help ease tensions. She had been the friendly face of the Vulcan Embassy since her relationship with Sarek began; an invaluable asset at social gatherings. As the food was finished, the four adjourned to the house, Sarek leading his wife off to his office. As they passed the door, Rosalina heard unfamiliar voices rise in greeting.

 

“Her relatives on Earth,” Spock offered in explanation. “Long distance VideoComms are rather expensive, so are only used on special occasions. Father felt this was one such time.”

 

“Ah yes, the Graysons. Have you met them?”

 

“Periodically as a child, but not lately.”

 

He led her out to the balcony, closing the doors behind them. His nervousness had returned, which unsettled Rosalina slightly. She was quite surprised by the conversation that followed.

 

“May I converse with you regarding a personal matter?”

 

“Of course; I assume you wish the information to remain confidential?”

 

“Yes.” He sat down on one of the chairs, slumping as much as Vulcans ever do such things. “It is a matter regarding one of my students.”

 

Rosalina perched next to him, listening but offering no pressure for him to continue. Whatever he had to say was important, and he would become even more uneasy if she pressed him for information.

 

“Her name is Cadet Uhura. Nyota is an excellent linguist, much like mother. Her oral sensitivity is exceptional, and she displays an unparalleled ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmission tests.”

 

“She sounds like a wonderful student.” She guessed that wasn’t his entire point, gently urging him to continue.

 

“I increasingly find my admiration of her to be… not primarily focussed on her drive and academic prowess.”

 

“Wait… do you like this girl?” she turned, shocked, to a now guilty looking Spock. “As in, _like her_ like her?”

 

“I am unsure as to your meaning?”

 

‘As if this wasn’t awkward enough’ she thought before continuing. “It is my understanding that you are indirectly trying to convey your attraction to her. You have feelings for her that you feel are inappropriate due to your role as her tutor, and wish to consult me on how best to proceed.”

 

Now it was his turn to be shocked. “How did you come to this conclusion?”

 

“Your avoidance of direct conversation on the matter suggests embarrassment, and your choice of confidant shows you aren’t comfortable with speaking to your parents about this. Your father would most likely disapprove, and your mother would get overly excited as any woman is wont to do upon discovering her son has a crush on someone.” A confused look crossed his face. “It’s a human phrase, meaning you are attracted to someone. That doesn’t matter. What _does_ matter is what you’re going to do about it. Thoughts?”

 

“I believe it would be best to ignore my emotions and focus on my work.”

 

She stood, crouching on the floor in front of him to look into his downcast eyes.

 

“Would a relationship between the two of you go against Starfleet protocol?”

 

“No…”

 

“Has Nyota expressed a desire to enter into a relationship with you, beyond that of a student-teacher bond or friendship?”

 

“Not directly…”

 

“Elaborate.”

 

He closed his eyes. “She is my student aide. Increased proximity to her has made it increasingly difficult to supress my feelings; meditation on the matter has proven fruitless. My compromised state has led to an increase of accidental contact.” Her eyebrows rose. “I occasionally brush her hand with my own; taking a stylus from her, passing her papers to mark, etcetera. The short glimpses of her thoughts have been focussed on me. I am unsure how to interpret this…”

 

Rosalina sat back on her heels, covering her face with her hands in thought. How to proceed? With limited information, it was difficult for her to make a decision, though the final choice would ultimately be Spock’s. She moved her hands to her cheeks, leaving her features exposed as she spoke.

 

“I am also unsure how to interpret it as I haven’t seen the aforementioned ‘evidence’ myself. Do you often converse during her time spent in your office?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“On topics other than those relating to your work?”

 

“Frequently.”

 

A noise from inside the house caught their attention, both heads turning swiftly to find the source of the noise. Sarek and Amanda had emerged from the office, moving into the spacious lounge. Rosalina stood, looking down to Spock.

 

“Go for it.”

 

“I apologise, I do not follow your meaning…”

 

“Tell her. Tell this Nyota Uhura that you have feelings for her and enquire as to whether she has similar feelings towards you. I have a hunch that she does; you’re quite an attractive fellow.” His ears flushed green at the last statement. “I know diving head first into a situation isn’t really your thing, but you probably couldn’t make the situation much worse, all things considered. Just make sure to tell her about the situation with T’Pring, and keep me posted on any developments; this could get interesting.”

 

Leaving him to compile his thoughts and consider her advice, she walked back into the house, joining Sarek and Amanda on the sofas.

 

 

The first update on the ‘Nyota conundrum’ came several months after the initial conversation on the balcony. Rosalina had received a call late in the night from a startled Spock, unsure as to what he should do. Having broached the subject of a potential relationship with the Cadet earlier that day, she had been somewhat surprised, spitting her tea all over him. She couldn’t help but laugh at that; the image of Spock drenched in tea was quite hilarious. He was worried that he had offended her somehow, but Nyota had simply expressed her surprise in a more vocal way. They had conversed on the matter, resulting in Spock walking her to her dorm as it had grown late. It was the light kiss she had placed on his cheek that had distressed him most. After calming her friend and convincing him everything was fine, Rosalina ended the call, spending weeks thinking about it. With her end of year exams fast approaching, her mind was quickly occupied by other things.

 

The engineering exam was very interesting. One of the last in a very long list, Rosalina was surprised to find a room with several work benches, piles of materials and components in a box at the end of each one. Standing behind her designated desk, she was informed that she had four hours to create a contraption of her choosing, her own design or an improvement of previously available technology, using only the materials provided. The timer started, the others in the room emptying their box of materials onto the bench. She followed suit, looking at what she had been given. Deciding that she had enough to create what she had in mind, she got to work. The spot welder provided wasn’t hot enough, she decided, so she modified that as well. ‘They never said I couldn’t’ she told herself as she adjusted the heat settings.

 

With one and a half hours still to go, Rosalina decided she was finished. Looking at the materials she had left, she decided to replicate the gauntlet she had made. She clamped it over her forearm to clear space on the crowded desk then got to work. She had done away with the clunky glove sections from her suits, opting for a sleeker design. The headset her father had given her only allowed her control of one at a time; now she could operate all four simultaneously whilst still being free to hang back from the action or, more likely, leap into the fray herself. As the timer counted down, her pace quickened. Even if it was the second one, she didn’t want to have an unfinished unit on her bench when that thing hit zero. They had a five minute warning over the PA system as she began calibrating the two units to work together. The computing element of her little project went much quicker than she anticipated, 54 whole seconds left on the clock when she finished. Laying the two gauntlets side by side and tidying away the mess she had made, she stood poker straight for the remaining 17 seconds. When the end of time was announced, she risked a glance around the rest of the room. The announcement came that her presentation to faculty members of her finished product would be at 1730 hours, meaning she had only an hour to prepare. She walked into the waiting room with the other students, hoping she hadn’t messed it up as she sent for the suits.

 

If her mental clock was correct, which it usually was, each student had fifteen minutes to present their efforts. As her name was called, she stood and walked into the conference room. It was quite a large space, with double doors at the opposite end. After bowing to the panel of faculty members in front of her, they instructed her to begin the presentation. Nodding, she called for the suits to enter through the back door. A few moments later, it swung open, hitting the wall. She winced at the sound, glancing apologetically at the panel before continuing.

 

“JARVIS, _presentation formation.”_

 

The suits flew over, arranging themselves in V formation with her at the centre.

 

_“Ascend one foot.”_

 

The suits hovered above the ground. All commands she gave, they followed. After three minutes of exhibiting manoeuvres, she stood off to one side, leaving the suits in a line in front of the professors. Tapping the control panel on her right arm, she separated the suits, allowing them to move independently.

 

_“Unit four, evasive manoeuvres. Unit two, shadow unit three’s pursuit of the enemy. Unit one, follow my lead.”_

 

As there was no actual enemy; she had hacked the holographic projector and programmed one while she sat in the waiting area. The suits shot off, all acting individually.  The shock she felt resonating from the professors became almost tangible when she leapt into the air, the suit she originally brought with her to Vulcan encasing her person as she did so. Climbing to the rafters, she had it open, catching hold of one of the traditional beams near the ceiling. She hung there for a few moments, surveying the scene below. She knew it was showing off, but she couldn’t help it. Growing up with a narcissist had that effect on you. Letting go, she released herself into a freefall from the ceiling.

 

 _“Unit one has been compromised. All remaining units; emergency protocol B16.5 NOW!”_ she shouted as she fell.

 

The three suits immediately stopped their previous routine; unit one stood by the table the professors sat behind, all now watching intently. Unit three sped towards her, matching her speed and encasing her before she hit the ground. The other two suits flew around her, guarding her from the ‘enemy fire’ of the projection. Once she was two feet from the ground, the suit released her, joining the others in a protective circle around her. Moving into an attack stance herself, she allowed herself to hazard a glance at the faulty members. They seemed impressed, yet slightly uncomfortable by her seeming narrow escape. She had five minutes left.

 

_“Unit one, I need eyes in the sky. Get up there and report back.”_

 

The suit shot up, JARVIS’ voice resonating from the gauntlet on her left arm.

 

“Enemy units moving on your position.”

 

_“All units, slow their advance. I’m laying low.”_

 

With that, she crossed her legs and sat on the floor in front of the panel. Closing her eyes, she activated neural controls. She imagined the suits flying around, different formations and manoeuvres forming in her mind. Her time running out, she mentally called the suits back to her, standing and holding her arms out to either side of her body. She heard them lower, the sound of boosters growing quiet as they made contact with the ground. Opening her eyes, Rosalina bowed, the suits following her lead. Her arms clasped behind her back, she asked the professors before her if they had any enquiries.

 

_“Was the music necessary?”_

 

That startled her. _“I was not aware that there was any…”_

_“When you seated yourself on the ground, music began playing. Was this intentional?”_

 

_“When I sat on the floor I initiated neural control of the suits- I did not intend for the music to be played aloud. I apologise.”_ _Rework, no music._

 

The Vulcans muttered to one another before a different professor spoke.

 

_“You have, in four hours, created a device with the capability of controlling four external devices with your thoughts?”_

_“Correct.”_

 

Another round of muttering. _“You are dismissed.”_

 

She bowed again, exiting the room with the four suits in tow. Unsure as to how the presentation had been received, she got into the ‘unit one’ suit and flew home.


	15. Chapter 15

As it turned out, all her exams went well. Needing a rest from the rather stressful Vulcan environment, she had gone back to Earth the day after her last exam. After being swamped by the Avengers for two weeks, she arranged to meet up with Spock at a restaurant across town from Starfleet Academy. Little did she know that the fabled Nyota Uhura would also be in attendance. Walking into the restaurant, she spotted Spock’s ears from across the room, heading towards the bathroom. When she reached the booth he had been sat in, she found it occupied by a woman about her age. They looked at each other for a moment before Rosalina sat down opposite her.

 

“Miss Uhura, I assume?”

 

“Yes…”

 

She held her hand across the table. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you- I’m Rosalina.”

 

Recognition flashed on Uhura’s face as they shook hands. “And you too. When Spock told me we would be meeting with one of his friends, I assumed they would be Vulcan. I didn’t realise he meant you…”

 

“That’s quite alright. I hadn’t been informed that you would be here at all, so that’s a surprise. Spock tells me you are an excellent linguist.”

 

“Really?” the other woman’s face blushed slightly. “Well, I’ve always had an affinity for learning new languages.”

 

_“How’s your Orion?”_

_“My roommate at the Academy is Orion; Gaila.”_ She replied.

 

Switching to Andorian, Rosalina continued with a smile. _“And you spent one summer in the Andorian system to improve your knowledge of the vernacular, as well as the more formal language, I hear?”_

_“Indeed.”_

_“That is evidenced in your impeccable pronunciation. You would be a pride to the empire.”_

_“Not many people speak Klingon, though I find its application most helpful in expressing one’s anger.”_

 

The two continued to throw phrases in different alien languages back and forth, Spock returning to the table midway through Nyota teaching Rosalina how to speak Swahili, her mother tongue. She shuffled down the bench to give him room to sit, the couple settling comfortably next to each other in the cramped booth. A waitress arrived shortly afterwards to take their order, seeming rather star struck by Rosalina’s presence. They chalked the swift service down to her, tucking into their meals hungrily. Rosalina insisted on paying, leaving the waiting staff a generous tip to keep quiet about her visit. The last thing they needed was for the press to find Spock out with one of his pupils. They went for a walk along the river, eventually heading across the Golden Gate Bridge back to the Academy. Nyota had a class to attend, so Spock and Rosalina took a more leisurely walk back to his quarters.

 

“So, this is where you call home?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

The flat was spacious enough, sparse decoration making the space feel more airy. A small kitchen lay to one side of the living area which had only four pieces of furniture; a sofa, armchair, coffee table and a bookcase which held Spock’s collection of traditional paper volumes. She moved over to the sofa as he made a pot of tea, idly moving a chess piece on the 3D set on the coffee table. When Spock joined her, they played a few games; she even managed to beat him a few times. They talked mainly about Nyota as they played, Spock commenting on her unbridled desire to serve aboard the Enterprise once its construction was completed. She worked exceptionally hard to be granted this wish, and Rosalina didn’t doubt for one moment that her dream would come to fruition. Cadet Uhura was, as she had now witnessed, truly exceptional.

 

* * *

 

 

In her fourth and final year at the Vulcan Science Academy, Rosalina had to make a choice. Of the three subjects she had taken the previous year, she could only carry one over. After months of deliberation, she eventually chose Advanced Computing; that way she could work on the suits’ programming and convince herself it was coursework. She stayed in the labs late into the night, on more than one occasion falling asleep on the flight home. It was lucky that the suits could control themselves.  Unlike her Vulcan classmates, she couldn’t function on only a few hours’ sleep each week, no matter how hard she tried. The deadline for her module three project was fast approaching, and panic was beginning to set in. The last thing Rosalina wanted was to fail at the last hurdle.

 

For this unit, the students had to create an entirely new programme, immediately ruling out her original plan of submitting JARVIS improvements. Instead, she settled on a concept that had played on her mind for a while- applying Vulcan teaching techniques to a Terran curriculum. She didn’t have access to the projection infrastructure of the learning pits, so she had sat for hours observing their use; how the students interacted with the interface, how said interface responded to that, and looking for ways the technology could be tailored to human children’s needs. It was after one of these observation sessions that she was approached by a group of young Vulcans, looking to be around twelve or eleven Earth years old. She was aware of them standing behind her as she made notes, beginning to amend parts of the coding she had already written when one of them spoke.

 

_“Do you require assistance in standing, Miss?”_

_“I am gratified by your offer, but it is unnecessary; I am here to observe._

_“What is the purpose of your observation?”_

_“I aim to further my understanding of the technology used in education here on Vulcan.”_ She glanced up at the group momentarily, returning to her typing.

 

_“Explain.”_

_“I am currently undertaking a project which requires me to create a new computer programme; my aim is to apply the techniques used to educate Vulcan children to the needs of humans.”_

 

The speaker tilted their head. _“Such an endeavour appears illogical. Earth has an existing education system which has been in place for many centuries.”_

_“Naturally, the Vulcan way is a more logical way to convey information, allowing each child to advance intellectually at their own pace. On Earth, children are expected to learn at the same pace as all other children their age. The Vulcan system could be applied to aid the learning of those humans who find the traditional methods of teaching unhelpful.”_

_“Have you been sent by Earth’s government to undertake this task?”_

_“No; I am an Advanced Computing student at the Vulcan Science Academy. This project is part of my studies.”_

 

The surrounding children turned to her, some on their way past stopping to watch her. Aware of the sudden attention she was receiving, Rosalina raised her head to look at them. ‘I can finish those notes later’ she thought, packing away her Padds into their case. Another child spoke up.

 

_“You are in ownership of the robotic humanoid units.”_

_“Indeed. Their primary function is to act as transportation; though they act as protective battle suits should such a situation arise.”_

 

All the children stopped walking now, slowly turning and heading toward her.

 

_“May we have a demonstration?”_

 

Nodding as she stood, the children stepped back and stared up at her. They followed behind as she walked out, earning a few odd looks from the adult Vulcans as she headed for the door, the crowd of children in tow. As they walked out of the building, she tapped on the gauntlet she now wore at all times. ‘At least I got something useful out of that Engineering exam.’ One of the children closest to her noticed what she was doing.

 

_“May I enquire as to the purpose of your mechanic arm; were you injured?”_

_“No; this device allows me to control the suits remotely. I am summoning them to our current location.”_

 

As she spoke, the four suits flew around the corner of the main building. The surrounding children looked on in awe as she initiated Party Protocol. She had altered her father’s display to showcase the capabilities of her own suits. This pre-programmed routine made it easier to do this; she no longer had to control each suit separately and was free to watch the display herself. The suits flew around in the air, all the children’s heads following them in unison. Once the display was over, Rosalina couldn’t help but smile to herself internally as the little Vulcans praised her.

 

* * *

 

 

After her last mid-term exams, Rosalina was heading out to the shop when the Vulcan behind the desk called her over. A letter had arrived for her that morning. Confused, she opened the envelope and saw it was an invitation from Ambassador Sarek to a social event at the embassy in a few days’ time. She had never been asked to go to a formal dinner before, never mind a Vulcan one. Her name was definitely on the invite, written by the Ambassador himself, so it wasn’t a mistake. As it was hand written, she understood that this wasn’t an invitation she could decline. Still bemused as to why Sarek would have asked _her_ to attend, she walked out of the foyer into the Vulcan sun. Adding another two hours onto her designated shopping time, she walked down to the tailor’s district. Nothing she owned would be nearly formal enough for an event like this.

 

After sending her groceries home with one of her suits, she walked into the dressmakers Amanda favoured. This was the first time she had been alone, so she was quite nervous. The Vulcan seamstress Valeris spotted her across the shop, motioning for her to come forward. Rosalina explained that she had no idea what she would need to wear, taking the invitation out of her bag. Upon seeing the handwriting, the woman ushered her into one of the fitting rooms, calling on her assistants to bring various fabrics as Rosalina removed her outer robes. Cloth after cloth was draped over her catsuit-clad form then discarded, the seamstress determined to find the perfect shade and texture for the dress. Finally she selected a woollen fabric, grey with purple flecks, and a purple silk. Valeris’ assistant quickly took her measurements as she collected a book of designs, flicking through the pages. After choosing her favourite, Rosalina was told to return the morning of the event to collect her dress. Thanking the women, she paid and set off on her journey home.

 

* * *

 

 

Standing once again in the fitting room of the shop, she could barely believe her eyes. The dress was amazing, the grey wool wrapped around her frame in a modest yet fitted way, flowing from her chest down to the floor. The long sleeves were lined with the purple silk, which showed through the slits down either side of the skirt and covered her chest and neck. A light hood could also be draped over her head, falling in ruffles down her back when it wasn’t. After helping her dress, Valeris arranged Rosalina’s short hair into a neat style, subtly hiding her human ears. One she was ready, Tavek collected her in the Ambassador’s personal car. Waving thanks to the women in the shop, Rosalina stepped into the car, sitting as still as she could on the drive to the embassy. Lady Amanda was waiting at the door for her when she arrived. She was ushered inside where a group of dignitaries was stood conversing with Sarek. When he saw her, Sarek beckoned her over, introducing her to the dignitaries. It transpired that they were Caitian delegates, inspecting the work being done at the Vulcan Science Academy. When Sarek had mentioned her own studies, the Caitians had been so interested that he felt compelled to invite her to the dinner event.

 

Once they were all seated at the circular table of the Embassy’s main dining room, a conversation struck up between Rosalina and the Caitian delegate named S’rell about warp engines. A few more delegates joined in, and for the rest of the evening all attendees were involved, discussing the merits and disadvantages of the various ship classes used by Starfleet. Upon the discovery that she was in fact the daughter of Tony Stark, the Caitian ambassador asked her many questions about the specification of the fleet’s new starship, the USS Enterprise. Lady Amanda added details of what Spock had requested for the science decks, and Sarek brought up the images of the ship he had taken on a recent trip to Earth. The projection flickered in the centre of the table as they ate, discussions on its progress flaring up periodically. By the end of the night, Rosalina had made promises to keep in contact with the Caitian scientists. The cat-like species were incredibly intelligent, and she was certain that their ongoing involvement in Starfleet would be highly beneficial. When she returned home, she hung her dress in the wardrobe and clambered into bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	16. Chapter 16

The academic year was drawing to a close. In a few weeks, exam results would be published and Rosalina could return to Earth. Her plan had been to work at Stark Industries after graduation, filling her father’s position so he could devote his time to Starfleet. A few of her personal belongings had been sent back to Earth already, preparing for her departure. However, the closer it came to the day she would eventually leave Vulcan for good, the more she wondered if she might be happier staying. Competing with Vulcans had been just the intellectual challenge she had craved; maybe working here in the Academy research centre would be a better option? A sudden tremor broke her train of thought, snapping her back into reality. There was a bright light on the horizon, towards the desert plains near the S’chn T’gai home. She walked out onto the balcony, squinting to get a better view. Giving up, she summoned the suit helmet and zoomed in on the area.

 

“Oh god; that does not look good… What is that thing, JARVIS?”

 

_“If my observations are correct, it would appear to be a Romulan vessel. The high energy plasma beam aimed at the planet does not bode well.”_

 

She summoned the rest of the suit, calling for the others as her body was encased in metal. “Unit two, I want you to go and check that out. If it’s what we think it is, I want you to try and disable the drill. Units three and four, clear the alien weapons vault. Get everything you can- especially the Tesseract, I want to study that thing, and I’ll be damned if it gets stolen. Download the mainframe from the Vulcan computer centre too; it should have all their information on it. Unit one’s coming with me.”

 

She flew off the balcony, heading for the ship. What she could see of the design certainly looked Romulan- a massive ball of blades silhouetted against the Vulcan sky. The closer she got, the bigger it became. Then it started firing.

 

“JARVIS, what are they shooting at?”

 

_“Federation ships. The Vulcan High Command sent a distress signal- a report of seismic activity. Starfleet was sent to investigate.”_

 

“Then we’ll go and help.”

 

Boosters on full blast, she exited the Vulcan atmosphere and headed straight for the alien ship. It was absolutely ginormous, completely swamping the Federation vessels approaching it. ‘Those poor souls’ she thought, the ships breaking into tiny pieces under the Romulan fire. Anger built as she searched for a weak spot, eventually flying into a hangar bay. Firing at the one Romulan guard, she stepped out of the suit. The Romulan dead, she took his weapons and kicked the corpse away, her suit following as she crept through the shadows, looking for the command centre of the bridge. JARVIS’ voice in her ear almost made her jump out of her skin.

 

_“Unit two confirms our suspicions; however, two Starfleet officers are already on the drill platform. Ought we to lend assistance?”_

 

“Do they need any?”

 

_“They appear to have the situation under control.”_

 

“In that case, send unit two to the Katric Arc to aid in evacuation of elders.”

 

_“Affirmative. Units three and four have completed their tasks. What would you have them do?”_

 

“Are there any Federation ships left?”

 

_“The USS Enterprise has just entered Vulcan space.”_

 

Good, so Spock was alive; at least for now. “Send them there to deposit the weapons. Units two to four are to rendezvous at the Enterprise. Then send them to the control hub of the Romulan ship if safe to do so. Thank you, JARVIS.”

 

_“It is a pleasure, Miss Stark.”_

 

Hearing footsteps heading towards her, she hid in the shadows. The suit remained in the adjacent corridor, waiting to provide cover for when the approaching Romulans began firing. When they rounded the corner, Rosalina saw a man clad in Starfleet gold walking with them. Assuming he was their prisoner, she decided to hang fire. Wherever they were leading this man must be somewhere important. She might be able to find out what’s going on. The guards walked past, oblivious to her presence. Luckily the suit was hidden in shadow; otherwise things could’ve gotten ugly. The prisoner glanced at her, a look of confusion crossing his face before one of the guards punched him. Once they were out of sight, Rosalina began her pursuit. As she stalked down the corridor, JARVIS’ voice rang in her ear.

 

_“Cargo delivered to the Enterprise, all units returning to your location.”_

 

“Duly noted.”

 

After walking through the shadows for a few minutes, she heard voices coming from a room. Ducking inside, she hid behind equipment to hear more clearly. The man she had seen was Captain Pike, who was currently being tortured for Starfleet’s border protection codes. ‘So, Earth is their next target.’ She winced at Pike’s pained noises, silently instructing the suit to stand guard over him; she would collect him on her way out. For now, she went in pursuit of Nero, the Romulan captain; from what she just heard, this ship had future technology stashed away, capable of destroying entire planets. She had to locate and destroy it before the ship reached earth. No pressure.

 

 

Waiting for the Romulans guarding the gangway to be distracted, she took in the sight before her. She stared up at the ship, her jaw dropping; it was absolutely beautiful. Seeing her chance at last, she ran out of the shadows and into the ship, firing at the guards with her stolen weapon. Thankfully there were only a few. As she stepped into the control room, Rosalina couldn’t help but gasp in awe. The technology before her eyes was far more advanced than she could have imagined. Tapping experimentally on one of the control panels, she jumped when the computer spoke.

 

_“Face recognition analysis enabled. Welcome back, Professor Stark.”_

 

Professor? That couldn’t possibly be right…

 

“Computer, what is your manufacturing origin?”

 

_“Stardate 2387. Commissioned by the Vulcan Science Academy.”_

 

Alternate timeline, she assumed. She could deal with that. Her alternate reality self obviously made the decision to remain on Vulcan. That was no longer an option she could take. As the weight of Vulcan’s loss began to bear down on her, she heard footsteps approaching. She hid, prepared to fire on the intruders. When she heard Spock’s voice, her ears pricked. Again, the computer spoke.

 

_“Voice print and face recognition analysis enabled. Welcome back, Ambassador Spock.”_

 

Ambassador, eh? Pretty impressive.

 

“Computer, what is your manufacturing origin?”

 

“I asked the same question; stardate 2387, quite apparently” Rosalina said, stepping out from behind the console. “It is gratifying to see you again Commander.”

 

Both Spock and his companion lowered their phasers before he spoke again.

 

“Rosalina? I assumed you had…”

 

“Died? I thought the same of you until JARVIS informed me of the Enterprise’s arrival. Who is your companion?”

 

The man in question took a step forward. “Kirk, James T. What is a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this?”

 

Turning to Spock, she spoke in Vulcan. _“I assume this is Mr Kirk’s usual attitude towards women?”_ A curt nod came in reply. “Well, before I was so rudely interrupted by you and the Commander, Mr Kirk, I was on my way to wreak vengeance upon the monsters that aim to destroy the planet I call home. Now I see I shall have assistance. The advanced weaponry on this ship, along with this ‘red matter’ ought to be enough to take down a ship this size. Do you wish to pilot, Spock, or shall I?”

 

“Something tells me I already have, Rosalina.”

 

“Then it’s settled. Spock goes all kamikaze in this _beautiful_ ship, and Mr Kirk can assist my rescue of Captain Pike.”

 

“Oh, you know where he is?”

 

“Indeed, Mr Kirk. I have one of my men keeping an eye on him. JARVIS, have the back-up units remain on the Enterprise, I believe Mr Kirk will be adequate to assist.”

 

_“Affirmative.”_

 

“Excellent. Spock, you do your thing; Kirk, with me. I do believe I have a plan.”

 

With that, she walked out of the ship, a stunned Kirk following her out. As they stepped off the gangway, the ship rose into the air. Its flying pattern reminded her of a jellyfish, somehow. Gesturing for Kirk to follow, she started down the passage to Captain Pike. The few guards they encountered along the way were quickly dealt with. When the duo eventually reached Pike’s location, Kirk ran over to him with seemingly reckless abandon, not even looking for Romulan guards. It was lucky that she had her suit watching her back; and Pike too, apparently. He grabbed Kirk’s weapon, shooting guards as they rushed to secure their prisoner. Freed of his restraints, Rosalina held him upright as Kirk called for the Enterprise to beam them up. Upon their arrival in the Enterprise transporter room, the crew seemed surprised to see her there. But the look of utter disbelief and anguish plastered on Spock’s face drew her attention to the figure stood in the doorway.


	17. Chapter 17

Rushing up the mountain, Spock headed for the Katric Arc. His parents were inside, along with the elders who preserved Vulcan culture. He had to reach them in time. Entering the ancient cave, he found them stood in a circle. Calling out to them in almost panic, he ushered the elderly Vulcans towards the door. Grasping his mother’s hand as they ran, he felt her fear through their bond. He sent waves of calm he did not feel, hoping to alleviate some of his mother’s anguish. He called to the Enterprise for beam up, Chekov’s voice replying. ‘Why is he not on the bridge’ ran through his mind, but the falling rocks and crumbling planet before him halted such trivial thoughts. His planet, his home, was falling apart beneath his feet. The beaming began, lights swirling around him. The small group all stared at the destruction before them; anger, fear and confusion fell over him in waves. The five second countdown for beam-up began when his mother screamed. The rock beneath her feet was disintegrating, her body falling with it. He cried out in fear, reaching to try and grab her hand, wrist, _anything_ to save her. Through the swirling lights and his immeasurable pain, Spock didn’t see the flash of blue sweeping by before the sight of the Enterprise transporter room greeted him.


	18. Chapter 18

“Mother?”

 

Spock’s voice wavered slightly as he spoke, Lady Amanda smiling to him as she walked from Sarek’s side towards her son. He ran forward and clutched her to him in a crushing embrace, much to the surprise of all in the room. The med teams escorted Captain Pike to sickbay, dodging around the pair on their way out. Kirk went after them, leaving Rosalina alone on the beaming pad. The rest of the crew still in the room quietly left, allowing them some privacy. Rosalina was about to follow suit when Spock raised his head, releasing Amanda from his grip as he did so.

 

“How did you survive? Mr Chekov failed to beam you aboard…”

 

Amanda smiled, smoothing Spock’s sleeves to calm him. “One of Rosalina’s suits caught me. I ended up in one of the engineering decks. By the time your father found me in sickbay, you were aboard the Nerada and communications were lost.”

 

“Excuse me for interrupting, but where are the suits now?”

 

“All four are in engineering- a certain Mr Scott is keeping them safe.”

 

They heard fast footsteps as Nyota ran into the room, coming to a halt as she took in the sight before her. She walked tentatively to Spock’s side, a look of deep concern on her face. Taking Nyota’s hand, Spock turned back to his parents.

 

“Mother, father; there is someone I wish you to meet.”

 

As Spock began to explain, Rosalina sidled out of the room, heading for engineering. After getting a little lost, she decided to go to the bridge instead. There may be some way she could lend assistance. When the lift doors slid open, she found Kirk sat in the Captain’s chair, all bridge crew tapping fiercely at the screens in front of them. The Nerada was disintegrating in the centre of the singularity, the Enterprise’s weapons firing at it. Turning the ship around, helmsman Sulu brought the ship to warp; the main screen said they _were_ at warp, but the Enterprise didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

 

“Get us out of here, Scotty.”

 

_“You bet your ass, captain.”_

 

_“Captain, we’re trapped in a gravity well; it’s got us.”_

 

“Go to maximum warp.”

 

Scott’s voice came over the Comm. _“I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain!”_

 

“Eject the core, Mr Scott.” She ran to Kirk’s side, all faces on the bridge turning to her in surprise. “When it detonates, the blast may be enough to blow us clear of the singularity.”

 

“What do you think, Scotty?”

 

_“Aye, it might work; I canne guarantee it though, Captain.”_

 

A crack formed in the ceiling, prompting panicked looks from all.

 

“DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!” Kirk screamed in desperation.

 

The bridge fell silent as they heard the dilithium cores eject, waiting for the blast. A few gruelling seconds dragged by before a flash of blue and a dull boom catapulted the ship forwards. The crew erupted in cheers, nervous yet joyful smiles spreading on the faces of Kirk and his pilot. Rosalina herself stood in shocked silence; she hadn’t expected that to work as well as it did. Lieutenant Uhura returned to the bridge, contacting Starfleet’s main fleet to come to their aid. As they waited for rescue, Spock walked back to his station and began to work, glancing at Nyota when he thought no one was looking. Everyone was doing something; the bridge crew were at their stations, Kirk was co-ordinating clean up in the lower decks, and she was stood uselessly looking on…

 

“Captain, is there anything I can do to help?”

 

“Just call me Jim,” he smiled up at her. “You’re not on the crew, so there’s no need for formalities. I suppose you could see if Bones needs any help in sickbay…”

 

She nodded, smiling to Nyota as she walked to the turbolift. When she arrived at sickbay, the sight of medics rushing between crew members was one of complete chaos. She had learnt from Spock that deck six’s bay was knocked out by the Nerada, killing their chief medical officer. Approaching the man who seemed to be in charge, she asked if there was anything she could do.

 

“Can you do bandages?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Nurse Chapel, this young lady’s doing the bandages; you’re free to do preliminary inspections.”

 

“Yes, Doctor McCoy.”

 

The nurse in question pointed her towards the bandaging station before rushing to the group of injured crewmembers by the door. Rosalina was soon bandaging the minor cuts and bruises of the crew, quickly moving from one patient to another. When the rescue ship arrived from the Lorentian system, she was relieved of her duties and sent to the mess hall to sit with the Vulcan elders they had saved. Amanda beckoned for her to sit on the bench with her, looking on as the Vulcans sat meditating. The room was almost silent, the soft breathing of the elders calming her nerves. A quiet knock on the door signalled Spock’s arrival as he warned of their imminent departure. The Enterprise still wasn’t warp capable after ejecting their only fuel source, but the rescue ships had enough space to take on extra passengers and return them all safely to Earth. Rosalina hung back as the elders left, guided to the shuttles by Starfleet officers. Standing next to Spock, she spoke in a whisper.

 

“I assume you have explained the nature of your relationship with Nyota to your parents?”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“How did they take it?”

 

“Mother was pleased that I am happy; she believes Nyota’s companionship will be of comfort in these troubling times. I am unsure as to father’s view on the matter, but I do not believe that he opposes the relationship. However, in light of Vulcan’s destruction, I have been made a member of an endangered species. It would be logical for me to help rebuild our race, and I believe father wishes…”

 

“I don’t care what Sarek wants, I won’t let you do that.” She looked up at him. “Nyota is wonderful. I can tell she really loves you, Spock, and you obviously like her. Your mother is right- after the events of today, you will both need emotional support, so it’s good that you have somebody you can talk to.”

 

“I can meditate to control my emotions; there is no need to trouble Nyota…”

 

“No, Spock. This is too big to meditate away. And she will need to talk to someone too. She knows you are hurting and will want to help alleviate some of that pain in any way she can. Humans are illogical creatures, but when we care about someone we go out of our way to make them better. That’s what you need right now. Internalising the pain won’t help; that’s what my dad did after the battle of New York, and we both know how that went.”

 

A Starfleet officer came down the corridor towards them. “The ship is nearly cleared Commander. The last shuttle is leaving now, so you’ll both have to come with us.”

 

Nodding, Spock waved her past as they proceeded to the shuttle bay. Nyota and Kirk were waiting for them at the hangar. As the shuttle flew away from the crippled Enterprise, Rosalina saw the ship for the first time. The artist’s impressions had not done it justice. Kirk saw her awe-filled expression from across the craft and called over to her.

 

“Amazing, isn’t it? She looked huge in Iowa, but now she’s up here it just looks right. They’re taking her back to Spacedock for repairs. It’s a shame she was only in action for a few hours.”

 

“Indeed. Perhaps my father will get his wish after all.”

 

That confused the young Captain. “Your father’s wish?”

 

“He had wanted the Enterprise to have Arc reactor technology instead of dilithium fuel cells. They came in handy earlier, but the Arc reactor is much more efficient, and it doesn’t leak radiation everywhere when it gets damaged.”

 

“Wait…” Kirk turned his whole body to face her. “Your father is Tony Stark?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Like, _the_ Tony Stark?”

 

“Correct again, Mr Kirk.”

 

“With the suits and everything?”

 

A sinking feeling suddenly washed over her, throwing her head through the division to the pilot’s cabin. “Were any suits removed from the ship?”

 

The shuttle pilot shook his head. “All equipment was left on board. Why?”

 

Rosalina pulled the sleeves of her borrowed uniform up her arms to reveal the gauntlets she now wore daily. “JARVIS, I need those suits to come with us. Under no circumstances can anyone but me get their hands on them, am I clear?”

 

_“Crystal, Miss Stark.”_

 

She contorted her body to get a view of the ship as they docked with the rescue vessel, the USS Horatio. A dim light was heading towards the ship. Content that her suits would soon be safely aboard, she disembarked to find the captain of the ship waiting for them, welcoming Kirk aboard his ship.

 

Rosalina stepped forward before addressing the man. “My apologies Captain, but there are currently four armoured suits flying to your vessel. They are under my command and pose no threat to your crew, but I wished to warn you in advance.”

 

The man turned to Kirk in surprise. “What is a Lieutenant doing with that sort of technology?”

 

“She’s not a member of my crew; she’s Stark’s daughter. I assume she made them while she lived on Vulcan.”

 

“My goodness, a Stark aboard my ship!” he shook her hand, his vigour surprising her. “I’m Captain Keel of the USS Horatio. We’ll have to get you up to communications as soon as possible; your father has been calling HQ nonstop for hours. I’ll inform Engineering about the suits, tell them to send them up to the bridge.”

 

“I can do that, captain; if you tell me when they arrive, I will summon them.”

 

The Captain nodded, guiding her to a redshirt who took her to communications. After opening a secure line to Starfleet HQ, he bowed out of the room, closing the door behind him. The Comm connected and her father’s face showed up on the screen. From the bags under his eyes and the night sky outside the window, she could tell he hadn’t been sleeping. She had almost forgotten about the time difference between Vulcan and Earth.

 

_“Oh thank god, you’re alive. PEPPER, SHE’S OKAY! I GOT THROUGH!”_

 

Before Rosalina had time to speak her mother appeared on the screen, immediately bursting into tears.

 

“Mother, I’m fine. I’ve been checked over by the medics and I’m absolutely alright. I apologise profusely for not calling earlier but we were a bit busy with the Romulans and the ship having no power and everything…”

 

 _“Romulans? What do you mean Romulans?”_ Her mother’s tears had slowed, replaced with a look of confused terror.

 

“It’s a long story and I’m not sure how much I’ll be allowed to tell you. I’ll explain everything when I get home, I promise. Didn’t JARVIS tell you I was okay?”

 

_“All the updates you’ve made while you were away haven’t been downloaded to the main interface. We essentially have two separate AI’s now.”_

 

“We can sort that out when I get home. I’m on the USS Horatio. We’ll be at the Spacedock in a few minutes, planet-side in about twenty. Debrief could take quite a while though, depending on how thorough they want to be.”

 

 _“Right you are. Pepper, I’ll go and get her. You stay here and try to rest before she gets back.”_ Her father’s calm speech soothed her nerves. _“Rosalina, I’ll be at the building the second you’re there. Is Spock alright?”_

 

“Alive and well; his parents too thankfully.”

 

_“Good. I’ll pick them up too, the last thing they all need is sterile Starfleet quarters after everything that’s happened. JARVIS can prepare the guest rooms Pepper, don’t you dare do it yourself. See you soon, Rose.”_

_“Stay safe sweetie!”_

 

“I will mother, don’t worry. I can’t get into much trouble now. See you later dad.” Smiling weakly, she ended the call, stepping out of the booth and walking swiftly away before the tears began forming in her eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

When the crew of the Enterprise was gathered in the main conference hall of Starfleet HQ, Rosalina stood by Spock and Nyota. Kirk was on her other side, smiling around at his crew. They were all tired both emotionally and physically after the day’s events, craving a good night’s rest. When the Admiralty had taken their seats, the session began with Admiral Barnett’s voice ringing out.

 

“First of all, we would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your services today. Thanks to you, Earth was saved from the Romulan threat. Naturally, the press will want to know as many details as possible. We ask that you keep the details to yourselves, not discussing any part of what transpired today with anybody outside these debrief sessions; even members of Starfleet. Is this clear?”

 

“Yes sir,” they called in unison.

 

“Good. Our PR department will have discussions with you all about arranging interviews later in the week, but for now you are not to speak to any member of the press under any circumstances. Further discussion with heads of departments and bridge crew will be held tonight- the rest of you are free to go back to Academy headquarters.”

 

The majority of the crowd stood, heading sleepily for the door; Nyota stayed behind with them. After the doors had closed, Admiral Komack addressed the remaining officers.

 

“The people in this room now represent half of Starfleet’s highest ranking crewmembers. Together you will form the public face of Starfleet; this means you will primarily be involved in press conferences and interviews over the coming weeks. You also have a responsibility of care for those under your command. After the troubling events of today, it is more important than ever that you give them your support. We will have another meeting tomorrow at 1900 hours sharp to discuss our approach to the media. If Cadet Kirk, Commander Spock and Miss Stark would kindly stay for a few more minutes; the rest of you are dismissed. Thank you for your time.”

 

After swiftly telling Nyota to wait for them, the three were ushered into an adjacent room with Captain Pike and Admiral Marcus. The door closed behind them, the amount of security personnel stationed outside it unnerving Rosalina slightly. As they sat around the small table, she realised just how tired she was. The instant relief of finally sitting down was almost overwhelming. Admiral Marcus’ voice snapped her back to full consciousness.

 

“As I am sure you are aware, today’s events are rather complex. As the only four people to have been aboard the Romulan vessel, you alone can shed light on some of the more intimate details of Nero’s defeat. Starfleet must decide by tomorrow as to how far this information goes; public, Starfleet personnel, Admiralty only, or to not share it at all. Until such a decision is made, nothing is to be said of the matter outside these four walls. Now, shall we start with your arrival on the enemy ship, Captain Pike?”

 

Pike gave his account of events, the Admiral asking for extra details when he came to his interrogation by the Romulans. After making it clear that Pike wouldn’t be punished for giving away the security codes, Marcus moved on to Kirk. The Admiral questioned him for almost ten minutes about how he came to the conclusion that Vulcan was under attack, praising his fast action. Then it was Spock’s turn.

 

“I understand that this may be a sensitive topic for you, Commander, so I will be brief. I offer my condolences for the loss of your homeworld. However, I am afraid I must ask for your contribution. You beamed down to the surface of Vulcan, correct?”

 

“Indeed, Admiral. My purpose was to preserve the essence of Vulcan culture in light of the planet’s imminent destruction. The elders gather in the Katric Arc in times of peril, and my parents were among them.”

 

“And you succeeded?”

 

“For the most part, yes Admiral. The cave was collapsing as we made our way out; three elders were lost before we exited.”

 

“I am sorry to hear it. I believe your presence on the Enterprise was what stopped the Romulans from destroying the ship. Did you discover the reason for this?”

 

“I did indeed, sir. The matter is rather complicated…”

 

“Then simplify it please, Commander. We all have beds to get to.”

 

Spock’s discomfort at discussing the matter was evident, but the Admiral pressed on until he got his answer. Eventually, it came from Rosalina.

 

“Sir, the Nerada first arrived in Federation space 25 years ago when it destroyed the USS Kelvin, as Mr Kirk has told you. Until today, they had not been seen or heard from since…”

 

“We don’t have time for waxing lyrical, Stark.”

 

“My apologies, Admiral, but the tale is necessary for my explanation. Simply put, they came from the future; 125 years from now. The star at the centre of their galaxy went supernova and destroyed Romulus, with Ambassador Spock using Red Matter to create a black hole and contain the explosion.”

 

“Ambassador…?”

 

“Correct; a future version of the Commander. His original aim had been to save the planet, but he failed. When Nero and his crew threatened the Ambassador for allowing the destruction of their homeworld, their ship was pulled through the black hole and back into our time. As retribution for Romulus’ loss, Nero destroyed Vulcan so that Spock may know his pain.”

 

“So this future Romulan madman let you all live so Spock here could have a front-row seat for his planet’s destruction?”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“So how did this ‘future Spock’ get here?”

 

“He came in his own ship, dubbed the ‘Jellyfish’, which was also pulled through the black hole. The Romulans captured it in order to utilise the black hole device on-board.”

 

The Admiral’s face lit up; she definitely had his full attention now.

 

“And where is this craft now? Do we still have it?”

 

“Unfortunately not, Admiral Sir; Commander Spock crashed it into the Nerada in an attempt to cripple the ship.”

 

“Why was that, Commander?”

 

Spock looked towards Rosalina before speaking, his expression mirroring her suspicion. “The Enterprise was outmatched and outgunned. It was the only logical option.”

 

“What about the weapon on board? Did you at least recover that?”

 

Rosalina spoke again. “Sir, the ‘black hole device’ was a system built into the ‘Jellyfish’. It was the ignition of the Red Matter which destroyed the Nerada.”

 

“So it has all gone?”

 

“Affirmative, Sir.”

 

Surprisingly, he seemed displeased. Leaning back in his chair, the Admiral sat in deep thought, the room silent for a few minutes. Unblinking, Spock brushed a single digit across Rosalina’s hand. His voice rang in her head; _I do not trust him._ So, that made two of them. Before she could glance at Kirk to ascertain his opinion on the matter, Admiral Marcus spoke again.

 

“Stark, did you get a good look at the inside of the ship?”

 

“I was only in there for a few moments sir.”

 

“I’ll take that as a no, then. Spock? You flew the thing, correct?”

 

“Affirmative sir, but my focus was on the mission at hand; not the design of the craft I was piloting.”

 

Admiral Marcus brought his hands to his face in frustration. “Alright kids, you are dismissed.”

 

With that they all stood, bowing before they made a swift exit. Nyota was waiting for them in the lobby, matching their pace as Rosalina and Spock half-marched to the waiting car. Tony was in the driver’s seat.

 

“Father,” Rosalina nodded, rounding the car to the passenger side.

 

Tony waited until both Nyota and Spock were in the vehicle before speaking.

 

“So, who are your friends sweetie?” His jovial tone masked his obvious discomfort.

 

“Father, you know Commander Spock. This is Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, chief communications officer of the USS Enterprise.”

 

Turning slightly in his seat, he smiled at Nyota. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Lieutenant?”

 

“Father, eyes on the road please!”

 

He barely dodged the oncoming vehicle. They were lucky it was so late; there were hardly any cars around for him to crash into. After their close shave, Nyota seemed even more nervous than she had previously. Whispering to Spock, who consequently nodded, she leaned forward in her seat.

 

“Mr Stark?”

 

“Tony, please.”

 

“Okay… Tony. Where are we going?”

 

“To Stark Tower. It’s in New York, so it could take us a while. Spock’s parents are there now; you’re both more than welcome to stay. We have plenty of space, even with the whole gang round. Which reminds me,” he turned his head to Rosalina. “Barton got a bit banged up on a mission a few weeks ago. He’s recuperating on his floor with Nat’s help, so I wouldn’t disturb them if I were you.”

 

“Understood father. Which floor are Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda staying on?”

 

“104. JARVIS has Spock’s room all set up, so I’ll just get him to ready another…”

 

“That will not be necessary, Mr Stark.”

 

Everyone was rather surprised by Spock’s blurted statement, his ears flushing green. Tony’s eyes grew wide as Nyota also blushed under his gaze, now thankfully using the mirror to stare at the couple in the back seat.

 

“Okay then. So you two are… together?”

 

“…Indeed.”

 

“Do you have a secret partner I need to know about, Rose?”

 

“No, father.”

 

“Ah, good. Good.”

 

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, Spock guiding Nyota straight to their designated floor when they arrived at the tower. Tony waited until the doors on their lift had closed before stepping into the one next to it with his daughter. As he pushed the button for the top floor, he inhaled loudly. The second the doors had closed, his arms were around her, his silent tears soaking into the borrowed Starfleet uniform she wore. She returned his embrace, the now unfamiliar prickling sensation returning to her eyes as her own tears began to cascade down her face. When the lift door opened they released one another, Rosalina meeting her mother’s reddened eyes. Without speaking, the three retreated into the master bedroom, Rosalina curling up to sleep between her parents. In all her 22 years, she had never slept in her parents’ bed. As the Stark family drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms, JARVIS closed the blinds, blocking their view of the rising sun.


	20. Chapter 20

The smell of pancakes cooking drifted throughout Stark Tower’s ventilation system, rousing its sleepy inhabitants. Cracking one eye open, Rosalina looked at the clock. 1200 hours. Lunch time. Pushing up on her elbows, she attempted to extract herself from the tangle of duvet and arms without waking her parents. To her left, Pepper stirred slightly, turning her back to her daughter. Rosalina stood and jumped over her father, sprawled over half of the bed. When she finally reached the door, his head snapped up.

 

“Rosalina?” She hardly heard his sleep filled slur.

 

“I am fine, father. Somebody is cooking pancakes.”

 

“Wait for me, I’ll just… oof!”

 

He fell off the bed, the dull thud of his body hitting the ground waking Pepper.

 

“Tony! What are you doing?”

 

“Pancakes, Pepper. Pancakes!”

 

With that, he and Rosalina walked to the communal kitchen to find Spock at the hob, frying pan in hand. Nyota sat on the counter with a plate of steaming pancakes to her left. Tony had rushed up and stolen one before Rosalina could stop him, startling Nyota in the process. Spock turned to face them calmly, nodding as he began to speak.

 

“Mr Stark. I trust you had a restful sleep?”

 

“Yes Spock, thank you. These pancakes are great!” With his face full of said pancakes, it was difficult to hear what Tony had actually said.

 

“Would you like some pancakes, Rosalina?”

 

“Yes please; I’ll come and help.”

 

Moving into the kitchen, she began to make some more mixture. Her father ate pancakes at the speed of light, so they would definitely need it. As the rest of the Avengers entered the kitchen, Nyota was also enlisted into the pancake production line; Rosalina made the mix, Spock cooked them and Nyota added the toppings. As Tony was tucking into his third plateful, Ambassador Sarek entered the room. He walked solemnly to the breakfast island, the room quieting noticeably as he crossed the kitchen. Seeing her father’s expression, Rosalina was reminded of his untold story about the last time he and the Ambassador met. She would have to ask him about it later.

 

“Mr Stark, it is pleasant to see you again.”

 

“And you, Ambassador.” Tony’s face reddened even more as he spoke. “Care for some pancakes? Your son is a rather good cook.”

 

Sarek nodded as he took his seat, the scraping of the stool on the floor amplified by the awkward silence that had descended upon the room. Lady Amanda was yet to join them, so he waited patiently for the pancakes to appear in front of him. Luckily the three cooks were all familiar with Vulcan tastes, Nyota delivering a plate of steaming plain pancakes to the Ambassador. He nodded his thanks as he began to eat. Natasha watched avidly from across the room as he took tentative forkfuls of the doughy pancakes and slipped them into his mouth. In her peripheral vision, Rosalina noticed her father slip out of the kitchen, unnoticed by the others in the room. Nyota volunteered to take over her mixing duties, the two women smiling to one another as Rosalina followed her father into his workshop. He had started tinkering; a clear indication that he was nervous.

 

“Is everything alright, father?”

 

Judging by his startled jump, he hadn’t noticed her entrance. “Oh, yeah... Um, everything’s fine. Just a bit crowded in there, with everyone sat around…”

 

“So it isn’t anything to do with your past chat with the Ambassador, then?”

 

“Not at all,” Tony smirked. “It has nothing to do with that. Have I ever told you that story?”

 

“No, I do not believe you have.”

 

“Well then, buckle up kid. You’re in for one hell of a ride.”

 

They both settled on the floor, all the benches too full of half-finished projects to be of any use for sitting. Tony ran his hand through his hair a few times; obviously deciding where to start.

 

“I assume you heard about the _Kelvin_ incident?”

 

“It was a few years before I was born; a Starfleet ship was destroyed by the same Romulans we dealt with yesterday.”

 

“Correct. That was over 25 years ago, now. Wow, that makes me feel old… Anyway, it was one of our first ships. There were a few kinks in the system that we hadn’t worked out yet, but government was pushing for the launch of a more long-haul exploration, so it went ahead regardless. We lost contact with them a few months into it, but we all assumed it was a system error; that the signals couldn’t reach us from so far away. Then the shuttles started arriving. The fragmented reports we got from the bridge crew of the _Kelvin_ said they had been attacked by pointy-eared humanoids in a ship with technology far surpassing our own. It was a week into the inquiry when Sarek contacted us…”

 

“The Ambassador?”

 

“Yes. The first time we ever had contact with Vulcan, and I was in the long-range sensor lab trying to finish a report for the high command. Technical improvements for future ships; with the _Kelvin_ we lost a big percentage of the fleet, so they wanted another built sharpish. So, there I was, middle of the night, when the sensor starts going crazy. I pull it up on the screen and boom; pointy-eared humanoid staring right at me. Naturally I was pretty startled. So I call for one of the other technicians to confirm what I was meant to be doing because we didn’t have a set protocol at that point.”

 

“What did they suggest?”

 

“Well, we’d just been attacked by these guys, or so I thought, and we didn’t want to anger a technologically advanced species. Except I was tired, and there was nobody else there so I was kinda terrified if I’m perfectly honest…”

 

It finally clicked in Rosalina’s mind as to what her father was saying. “Wait… did you start accusing him of attacking the _Kelvin_?”

 

“Yeah…” The look of guilt on Tony’s face spoke volumes. “He just sat there all calm as I started sounding off, yelling about how we would find and destroy him, wreak vengeance for those we had lost and all that. I finally had to stop and breathe, then he spoke. Obviously I didn’t understand a word he was saying, so I just sat dazed and confused. Even more confusing was when he started speaking English.”

 

“I assume the Vulcans had translation software that he transferred to your computer?”

 

“You really are a clever thing. He very calmly explained that the race I was talking about were Romulans, whereas he was Vulcan. After convincing me that his people didn’t want to harm us, but wanted a collaboration out of which they themselves would get very little, I agreed to set up a conference call with the board during our meeting the next day. Obviously they didn’t believe me at first; they assumed I’d hallucinated after drinking too much. Yet there he was again, with some other Vulcans this time. We already had the software by that point so we understood what they were saying. I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable around him after that first call…”

 

“Why? Vulcans don’t hold grudges, father. It was an honest mistake.”

 

“Indeed, Mr Stark. It was immediately evident to me that you were confused, and that you and your race required Vulcan’s assistance if your space exploration project was to reach its full potential.”

 

Tony pulled a workbench to the ground as he tried hurriedly to stand. His whole body cringed at the clang of metal hitting the concrete floor. After dodging various engine parts on her way to her feet, Rosalina stood near her father as the cacophony of noise quietened to a dull echo. Sarek looked down to his feet where the last bolt was rolling to a stop, stepping on it before it disappeared under his robes. Silence fell, alerting Rosalina to the fact that her father wasn’t actually breathing. With a quiet nudge came a sharp intake of breath followed by a barrage of apologies. When Sarek raised his hand, Tony stopped.

 

“Mr Stark, there is no need to explain. As Rosalina stated, I understood your mistake immediately. I was not offended by it. The reason I have not spoken to you is because I see your discomfort; I did not wish to cause you unnecessary emotional pain. I see this was a misjudgement on my part, for which I apologise."

 

Her father was clearly confused by that. “You were worried you’d hurt my feelings? No offence, but you’re a Vulcan. I didn’t think you really cared about that sort of stuff.”

 

“It is true that Vulcans do not express emotion in the way humans do, but this does not mean we have none. Emotions run deep within our race, Mr Stark. We have simply learnt to control them, so that they do not control us. Logic offers us a serenity humans can seldom accomplish.”

 

A sly smile crept onto Tony’s lips as he spoke. “By that, do you mean that Amanda has been schooling you on how to deal with human emotion?”

 

Sarek’s face adopted what Rosalina recognised to be a look of confused distress. Her father noticed his stiffened stature and laughed.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes then. Pestering wives is something we have in common, Ambassador. There was this one time when Pepper got mad at me for being ‘unprofessional’ in a meeting. Seriously, it was only a joke, and the investors thought it was funny!”

 

The two men walked out of the room as Tony continued with his anecdote. Rosalina smiled as she watched them round the corner into the lift, hoping that he wouldn’t wear the Ambassador down with endless chatter. He had a tendency to do that when he was excited. Looking at the mess on the floor, she moved the workbenches back to their original places, picking up the larger bits of her father’s projects. Spotting that her designated area of the workshop was still as she had left it after her last visit, Rosalina wandered over and ran her fingers through the layer of dust that had fallen over the benches. Smiling to herself, she called to JARVIS.

 

“J, could you bring up everything we’ve got on Admiral Marcus please? There’s something not quite right about him.”

 

_“Starfleet files on the Admiralty are restricted. As you do not have the necessary credentials, I assume you wish to hack the database?”_

 

“Oh JARVIS, you know me so well.”

 

As the interactive interface came into view, the lights dimmed. Hearing the doors lock, Rosalina went to work. If the Admiral was hiding something, she’d find it.


	21. Chapter 21

A week after her investigation began, and Rosalina was no closer to finding out what the Admiral was up to. There had to be something, she was sure of it. With an exasperated sigh she swiped the interface away. What she needed right now was meditation to clear her thoughts, but with so many people around it was difficult to find a quiet place to do so. She had been restricted to her room once her father needed the workshop for something, so the wall opposite her bed was covered in notes scrawled onto any bit of paper she could find. Displaying the contents of her mind like this had helped her select the important information and build her understanding of complex concepts when she was younger, and this was _extremely_ complex. The few files she had managed to hack into were of little help. Scanning the wall for answers, she heard a knock on her door. Recognising it as Spock’s, she called to JARVIS to let him in. The mess of papers arranged on her wall seemingly confused him as he stepped over the threshold.

 

“Might I enquire as to what you are doing?”

 

“You may. This is the beginnings of my investigation into Admiral Marcus. There doesn’t seem to be anything extraordinary here, which I must admit is rather frustrating.”

 

Spock approached the wall, examining various slips of paper before carefully removing one of them. Perching on the end of her bed, he scrutinised the information she had written on it. Seeing his look of confusion, she scooted over to have a look herself.

 

“This is not a project code I am familiar with. If I remember correctly, the first three digits indicate the department, which in this case is Research and Development.” Pointing at the numbers in question, he continued. “The next four correspond to the sub-department, which is weaponry. But the last five are unfamiliar. I know of no federation approved project code which begins with 31…”

 

“You mean he might be building weapons under the radar?”

 

“Potentially, yes. Further investigation will be required to confirm our suspicions, although this seems the most likely explanation for the Admiral’s piqued interest in Red Matter and the Jellyfish.”

 

“Indeed it does. I’ve read through quite a lot of files though, and this is all I could come up with. At least I’ve got some kind of a lead now. Thanks, Spock.”

 

“If any further assistance is required…”

 

“No, don’t offer to help. If they even suspected you had anything to do with this you’d end up in prison. Some of these files are level 12 classified, which I _definitely_ don’t have the clearance for. I’m not a member of Starfleet either, which adds another layer of illegality to the whole thing. Thanks for the observation though, that’ll be really helpful.”

 

The shocked expression Spock was barely containing made her realise just how crazy this plan sounded. Even if she did find anything, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone or she’d end up in prison herself. But she was in too deep to stop now. Once Spock had left, she cleared the wall, pinning the document in the centre next to her ‘mugshot’ of the Admiral. Now she could go to work.

 

 

The Avengers tower was silent except for the tapping of the keys on Rosalina’s laptop. She liked the sound of the old technology; it gave her a sense of productivity, but right now it had the potential to give her away. The lead Spock had given her earlier was proving rather fruitful, so she was furiously hacking and making notes. It was 4am and the lead just kept on giving. There were at least three dozen other documents signed off by Marcus with the same code as the first one she had found. The last few digits seemed to correspond to different classes of starship, though there was an extra two combinations she didn’t understand. One must be for weapons that could be used universally, but the other had her confused. It was almost as if there was another class of ship…

 

“JARVIS, what is the largest class of starship on record?”

 

_“Constitution class, Miss Stark”_

 

“Is there anything above that in terms of the seafaring variety?”

 

_“I believe that would be Dreadnaught, Ma’am.”_

 

Hmm… Her father had been wanting to integrate Arc-reactor technology into the fleet for quite some time now. Maybe _he_ was working on something with Marcus? Perhaps she should ask him; he might be able to help work out why the Admiral was so enthralled with weapons of mass destruction. Making a note of it she stuck it to the growing collection of scraps on her wall. They were a lot more organised than her last effort, mainly due to the fact that the different documents actually had a code to sort them by. After admiring her work for a few minutes, she got ready for bed. She might as well get a few hours’ sleep before the rest of the tower’s inhabitants awoke.

 

 

As usual, Tony was down in the workshop tinkering. Rosalina had somehow managed to sleep through lunch, despite her recurring nightmare. The events of the day Vulcan was lost replayed in her mind, each time with a different person in Amanda’s place; in her dreams, the suit was too late to save them. Sometimes it was one of her friends, occasionally an Avenger. The worst ones were where she saw the children. She always awoke wracked with tears, bitter-sweet memories of their admiration of her work in her mind. She was grateful that JARVIS sent for her father once she had calmed a little, even disguising his messages as ‘urgent phone calls’ so as not to worry her mother. Last night’s victim had been Spock, which was even more difficult to handle as he had actually been there at the time. Softly knocking on the glass door of the workshop, Rosalina waited for her father’s invitation to enter. This was their signal to say she needed to talk. Her father beckoned her over, pulling up a stool beside his own so they could whisper to each other. After a particularly bad dream, it was the only volume she could manage without immediately breaking down. Tony pulled her into a one armed embrace, kissing the top of her head.

 

“You okay, Rosie?”

 

“Yeah…” She could already feel her throat closing up.

 

“Who was it this time?”

 

“Spock.”

 

His grip around her shoulders tightened, giving her an excuse to rest her head on his shoulder. She inhaled his scent as he planted another kiss on her hair, finding comfort in the familiar layers of cologne and detergent. A few tears leaked onto his shirt as he combed his fingers through her short hair.

 

“I remember when your hair was long, like your mother’s. She always used to braid it for you. I was never allowed to.”

 

“Yeah, because the one time you did I ended up with a chunk of hair missing.”

 

Rosalina couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Pepper had been in hospital with a particularly bad case of Thelusian flu after a trip to a Starfleet outpost in the Lorentian system. They had been going to visit, so Tony decided to try doing her hair. Naturally, it ended in disaster.

 

“I promise you, that was an accident. I would never _intentionally_ pull your hair out, love.”

 

“I know Dad.” She hated snivelling, but all the cuddling had brought her emotional barriers down.

 

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Rosalina picked up the blueprints on the desk. It was yet another design for an arc-reactor powered phaser. Tony had come up with thousands of these designs, but she recognised the sort code on the bottom right of the page. Scrutinising it further while her father resumed work, she finally worked up the courage to ask him about the mysterious five digits.

 

“What does that code mean?” feigning innocence would hopefully work an answer out of him.

 

“Some Starfleet thing. It’s so they can organise everything.”

 

He hadn’t played into the trap. Damn. “So, is the first one for the department of origin?”

 

“That’s right” Tony smiled. “And the second one is the sub-department. So that means this design is for the weaponry section of R&D.”

 

“Ah, right.” What to ask next without drawing suspicion? “So, what are these last five numbers?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure. I think it probably corresponds to the section of the archives it’ll be kept in.”

 

Wrong. He was so wrong. “Huh. I would have thought that it meant something like, say, what class the weapon is. For instance, the size of ship it can be used on. That way they’d know where to install it, or if it needed installing at all.”

 

Tony nodded thoughtfully, smearing oil into his beard as he scratched it. “That might make more sense actually. Good thinking, batman.”

 

Well, he clearly didn’t know what was going on. Shame really; it would have been nice to wrap this whole thing up. Her expectations had probably been too high, if she was honest with herself. Maybe she should try another angle.

 

“Dad, have you ever worked with Admiral Marcus?”

 

That certainly got his attention. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, he was the one asking me, Spock and Pike questions when we got back from Vulcan… I was just wondering what he’s usually like.”

 

“Why, was he mean to you or something?”

 

“Well, some of the questions he asked Spock were a little insensitive considering his home planet had just been destroyed and everything. He was very persistent with them as well. I had to step in and answer for him at one stage because he was getting worked up. Not that the Admiral would have known of course, but still.”

 

“He’s very old school. He’s not of a generation where acceptance of other cultures was strictly necessary. You grew up with Vulcans and Orions and a whole range of other species around you. Most of Starfleet’s Admiralty were military leaders back in the day when the biggest threat to our safety was each other. New ideas are, to him, a threat to our culture.”

 

“Maybe we shouldn’t have such close minded people in charge of Earth’s interplanetary peacekeeping armada.”

 

“Watch where you say that, Rose. You don’t want the wrong people to hear it; talk like that could land you on the blacklist.” Her confused look prompted him to continue. “If you get put on the list, no matter who you are, they can ensure that you _never_ get a career in Starfleet. I’ve even heard rumours of people being fired from other Federation jobs for saying unsavoury things about Marcus.”

 

If she wasn’t worried about what would happen if she was discovered before, she definitely was now. Admiral Marcus definitely seemed like a man you wouldn’t want to cross, and she had been digging into all his secret files. Deciding to stay silent on the topic, she simply nodded in reply to her father’s warning.


	22. Chapter 22

She had finally cracked it. The five figure code had finally laid its secrets bare, and they were fascinating to say the least. The first two represented the sector of the department from which the design originated. The next one corresponded to the class of ship it would be used in, and the last pair told you which section of the ship the item in question would be stored in. If the item was to be carried on a crewmember’s person, it ended in 00. She had spent all night searching and comparing public files with those she had uncovered, but there was one thing which stood out. Now came the interesting part.

 

There was no Sector 31.

 

Not in the R&D department, not in _any_ of the departments within Starfleet. Though she had looked high and low for it, there was no record of a sector 31 ever existing. This all but confirmed her suspicions that the Admiral was building something dangerous right under Starfleet’s nose. She was captivated now, needing to know more. She had to find the last piece of the puzzle, but where to start? Hoping to find some answers, she had arranged to see Spock and Nyota during their final weeks of shore leave, planning a visit to Starfleet’s public archives in San Francisco. Hopefully there would be something there. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she was certain she would know it when she saw it.

 

* * *

 

 

Walking along the quay towards the Starfleet academy’s main building, she took in the sights of the city. The sun was setting, the twinkling of lights blinking into life across the skyline. Tonight was the belated graduation ceremony for what remained of Nyota’s classmates, and she had been invited along. Rosalina hadn’t been inside the academy buildings recently; her last visit had been to a conference held there several years ago. Her 16 year old self had been in awe of the vast array of scientific equipment in the labs, even picking one of the locks to have a closer look. Luckily it had been her father who found her, so she didn’t get in much trouble. He tended to encourage her curiosity.

 

The conference hall where the ceremony was to take place was already halfway full of friends and family by the time Rosalina arrived. Scanning the small crowd of students and staff, she saw Spock and wandered over to him, weaving in and out of the gathering crowd. He was standing with his fellow professors, who were chattering quietly amongst themselves. Giving a small wave as she approached, she turned to see where he was looking in the crowd. He seemed to be staring at a group dressed in bright traditional African dress.

 

“Is that Nyota’s family?”

 

“Indeed.” After nodding greetings to one of his colleagues, she turned to her. “She suggested that you may sit with them, if you wish. Unless of course you have someone you know here…”

 

“Nope, I’m on my own today. Billy no mates.”

 

“Quite.”

 

The ghost of a smile on his face brought one to her own. That phrase and its origins had been of some interest to them in their childhood; it had been the first comprehensive research project they had embarked on together. A voice boomed over the PA system, telling them that the ceremony was about to begin. After a quick goodbye to Spock, she dodged through the crowd to go and sit with the Uhura family. Hopefully they wouldn’t mind… Had Nyota mentioned her attendance to them previously? Did they _know_ she was coming to sit with them? Judging by the excited look on what must have been a young cousin’s face, this was a surprise.

 

“Look mama, Miss Stark!”

 

The girl’s mother turned round, revealing a face hauntingly similar to Nyota’s. She tapped the arm of the man to her left rapidly, causing him to abandon his conversation with the woman next to him. Presumably that was his wife. Nyota’s parents, perhaps?

 

“What is it, Makena?”

 

So, she was Nyota’s older sister. That would make the young girl with her Nyota’s niece. If memory served, this was the one who dreamed of being a Starfleet science officer. What had Nyota said her name was again…?

 

“If you are Makena, then this young lady must be the famous Faizah. I have heard a lot about you from your Aunt Nyota.”

 

“You know Aunty Ny-Ny?!” the girl gasped.

 

“Indeed I do. She tells me you are _very_ good at science.”

 

By this point, the whole family had turned to face her. Running through the list of Nyota’s relatives in her head, she guessed that the man on the other side of the older couple was her brother Kamau, assuming that her brother-in-law was still serving on the USS Bradbury.

 

“To what do we owe the pleasure, Miss Stark?” Nyota’s father asked. He had been a science officer himself.

 

“Your daughter invited me to sit with you, if that is alright Dr Uhura…”

 

“Of course, or course! And please, call me Mbaruku.”

 

“In which case I must insist you all call me Rosalina.” Sitting down next to Faizah with a smile, she turned her attention to Admiral Barnett’s speech.

 

After the speeches were finished, the professors began their commendations. Each department gave out an award to their highest achieving students, many being awarded posthumously to those who had been lost in the battle of Vulcan. When Spock stood, she felt the row of seats shift as the Uhura’s tensed.

 

“The award for Linguistics goes to a student whose test results are consistently within the 95th percentile. Her ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmission tests is unparalleled. It is for these and many other reasons which Professor Adaobe has awarded Cadet Uhura with this award.”

 

As Nyota ascended the steps to the stage, her family erupted in applause. They were so busy cheering that they failed to notice the subtle brush of fingers exchanged between tutor and student. Smiling to herself, Rosalina joined in the family’s jubilation. As the remaining student’s names were called and the graduation itself began, Faizah turned and whispered to her.

 

“One day, I will be up there. Aunty Ny-Ny says I am just as determined as her. I’m going to miss her.”

 

“As will I. She is a good friend, as is Professor Spock.”

 

The girl turned to face her, a look of sorrow on her face. “I’m sorry about your friends. Vulcan was your home too, mama says.”

 

“That’s right. I mourn their loss, but am glad for the survival of many. I have a shortage of friends right now.”

 

“I will be your friend, Miss Stark! Just like Aunty Ny!”

 

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Faizah.”

 

* * *

 

 

As the ceremony ended, the audience stood to greet their graduates. Feeling somewhat out of place, Rosalina walked into the chill of the San Francisco evening. A few minutes later, she was joined by Spock. Clearly the noise of the crowd was getting to him. They stood in silence, the hum of the people inside growing louder as some spilled out onto the streets.

 

“The crying is difficult to handle. Why do you humans weep in times of both jubilation _and_ sorrow? It is highly confusing.”

 

“I’m not sure. Perhaps it is because our feeble bodies cannot contain the extreme emotions, so they spill out in the form of tears.”

 

A weak smile confirmed her attempt at a joke had been partially successful. After losing so many of his students, it must be hard for him to stand among their loved ones.

 

“I feel the need to comfort, but lack the proper means to do so. I offer my condolences, but that only seems to make the situation worse. This hopeless feeling is intolerable…”

 

She gripped his shoulder in understanding, unable to express it in words. Suddenly, Nyota’s niece was by her side.

 

“Miss Stark, Mr Spock; we are going for a meal now!”

 

“You’re welcome to join us. Father said you’re allowed.”

 

Nyota smiled to the pair, holding Spock’s gaze. She too gave his shoulder a quick squeeze of comfort before the rest of her family joined them. After scooping up his granddaughter, Nyota’s father reiterated the invitation to dinner. Once Rosalina accepted, he turned to Spock.

 

“I do not wish to intrude upon your family celebration, Dr Uhura…”

 

“After everything you’ve done for Nyota, I’m afraid I have to insist professor. She told us about the transfer; without you, she wouldn’t be here.”

 

With tears threatening in the other man’s eyes, Spock reluctantly accepted. Sat around the largest table at the family’s favourite restaurant, they ate and talked, staying late into the night. After her daughter had fallen asleep at the table, Makena left for the hotel. Those remaining were finishing up their coffees when Rosalina’s Comm rang. Seeing it was her father, she debated whether to answer it or not. Decided, she declined the call, sending a quick message as to her whereabouts. A few minutes later, they were all preparing to leave when the bill arrived. Spock was having a heated debate with Nyota’s father as to who was to pay for his meal. Smiling as they did so, Rosalina beckoned the waitress over and paid on her own card. Once the payment went through, she stood to leave, closely followed by the other two women.

 

“Now now, boys, you’re both pretty.” Nyota jested. “Can we go home now?”

 

“But the bill…”

 

“All taken care of, Mbaruku. At the rate you two were going, we would be here all week. Well done on nearly out-logic-ing a Vulcan, by the way. Commendable effort.”

 

After a round of thanks and goodbye hugs, Spock and Nyota set off walking back to the Academy. Their shuttles left for the spacedock in the morning, so they had reluctantly packed their things and departed the tower the previous day. Happy arrived in the car just as the Uhura’s were preparing to call a cab.

 

“Which hotel are you staying at?”

 

“Oh no, Miss Stark, you’ve already paid for our meal. We can’t let you give us a lift as well.”

 

“I’m afraid I have to insist, Dr Uhura.”

 

Smiling as Happy opened the door, she beckoned for the couple to enter the vehicle. Reluctantly following his wife’s instruction to accept, Dr Uhura ducked into the Bentley. Once Rosalina had taken her seat, they set off.

 

“Was this level of grandiose necessary, Happy? Couldn’t you have brought a more conspicuous car?”

 

“The Ambassador and Lady Amanda have borrowed the hovercar; they’re off to visit her family, I think.”

 

“Oh, yes. That was today, wasn’t it...” She had completely forgotten about that. Turning back to her fellow passengers, she smiled. “Thank you for inviting me along, by the way. The evening was most enjoyable.”

 

“Thank _you_ for gracing us with your presence, Miss Stark. And for covering the bill. I must insist we pay you back for that…”

 

“No, I won’t have it. Those are your hard earned credits; if you must insist upon spending them, take your lovely wife out for a meal sometime.”

 

The cheeky smile on the other woman’s face suggested this was something she, too, had suggested. “See, Mbaruku? Even she thinks you should treat me more.”

 

“Honestly, as if having three women pestering me wasn’t bad enough.”

 

“Three?” Happy chimed. “My my, Mr Uhura, I feel sorry for you. And here I was thinking constant hen pecking from Tony Stark was bad!”

 

They couldn’t help but laugh at that. When they arrived at the hotel, Dr Uhura forced Happy to take ten credits from him, which were swiftly slipped into his wife’s purse via Rosalina. As her husband was collecting their room key, M’Umbha turned to her, a serious expression on her face.

 

“I don’t mean to look like I’m intruding, but I’m worried about Nyota. The professor that was with us tonight, is she…” She sought the right words. “Romantically involved with him?”

 

Rosalina smiled sympathetically. “Yes, I believe so. The full details of their relationship haven’t been disclosed to me, but I know Spock would never dream of doing anything to harm your daughter. He consulted me many times before embarking upon their current relationship.”

 

Seeming relieved, Mrs Uhura thanked her again before leaving the vehicle. Telling Happy to take her home, Rosalina rang Spock.

 

“What is it?” His voice was heavy with sleep. She must have woken him.

 

“Nyota’s mother knows. The cat’s out of the bag, Spock.”

 

“You told her?”

 

“No, she guessed. I merely confirmed. She has been sufficiently convinced that you mean her daughter no harm, so don’t worry. Just, warn Nyota.”

 

“I shall. Thank you, Rosalina.”

 

“It’s fine. Now get some sleep. Goodnight.”

 

Hanging up, she leaned back into her seat, feeling the light swaying movements of the vehicle lulling her to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Now that Nyota and Spock were off in deep space, Rosalina had nothing to do. Sure, there were bits of tinkering here and there, but the investigation had ground to a halt after her failed visit to the archives. There was absolutely nothing there; not even the documents she had already found. She had taken to tinkering, making slight alterations to the suit control gauntlet. A few days after they had gone, she decided to check out her results from the academy. A suitable planet had been found for the new Vulcan colony, and she had sent the files she had recovered to the small council that had been set up. Sarek had expressed his gratitude for her assistance, locating the remaining students and giving them their results. He had explained that her grade equated to a PhD in Terran terms, which was pleasantly surprising. By Vulcan standards her final score was average, but to her it was really rather astonishing. Spock and Nyota had offered their congratulations via a long distance Comm call, with her father insisting on throwing a get-together with the Avengers and various other assorted family friends. Once that was over, she had nothing to do.

 

That’s when she started working on the bots. The suits were too big to send around inconspicuously, and she often needed parts fetching from here and there. A week after she had perfected the first prototype, affectionately named Barry, she had created 9 more. With each bot the design had improved and refined, meaning the latest one was going to have a cloaking system. The complicated nature of the mechanics required had kept her occupied for days now. As the final touches were applied to the programming for the operating system, Rosalina looked up at her wall, the bot on her lap. The myriad of papers for the Marcus investigation were now partially concealed with blueprints and algorithms for her current project. It was when she stared at one of these documents that one particular origin code caught her eye. She saved her work without taking her eyes off the half-buried slip of paper, sliding off her bed. Walking almost in a trance, she tugged the paper off the wall and examined it more closely. The digits she had noted down below the item code suddenly clicked in her mind- it was a grid reference. A traditional terran six-figure grid reference, not the kind they now used to map quadrants of space. Tapping it into her computer, she waited impatiently for the three seconds it took for the page to load. When the map came up on her screen, she stared in confusion.

 

“The Kelvin Memorial archives, London…”

 

Her eyes widened. That must be it. That must be where he’s got Sector 31 hidden. It made sense, with the Admiral being a Brit and all. But to confirm her suspicions, she’d have to go there. After thinking for a few minutes, she suddenly remembered her mother mentioning something about London a few days ago. Rushing towards the stairs, she ran down at break-neck pace, JARVIS reminding her of the dangers of falling down a flight of stairs from the 105th floor. Ignoring him, she kept going, bursting through the doors of the communal floor. Slowing to a jog, she searched for her mother, panting slightly. She’d have to start running again; this breathlessness was ridiculous. Finding Pepper sat at the kitchen table, Rosalina approached, hoping her mother wouldn’t notice her somewhat laboured breathing.

 

“Mother, did you mention something about a trip to London a few days ago? A conference of some kind?”

 

“Yes sweetie; there’s a clean energy expo that your father’s doing a presentation at. Lots of planets are interested in the Arc Reactor technology. Why do you ask?”

 

“I wish to attend. I believe my expertise on the subject will be of assistance to father. Perhaps I can answer some questions from delegates in attendance.”

 

Pepper suddenly rose from her seat, taking her daughter’s shoulders in a firm grip. “Rosalina, darling; you’ve been working really hard recently, which is a good thing, but I think you need to rest. I know Vulcan was a second home to you, and it’s natural that you’d be upset about its loss, but you need to slow down and give your brain time to process everything that’s happened.”

 

Sighing, Rosalina met her mother’s eyes. The worry in them startled her. Granted, she had been working _a lot_ recently, but it was something her and her father shared. It was the Stark Family Coping Mechanism; work for 52 hours straight, or until you run out of caffeine, or you can no longer see straight. Or, more often than not, a combination of all three. Thinking about it, that wasn’t good at all; she really needed to restore her sleeping pattern to what it had been at the VSA. She had at least 6 hours a night, occasionally getting the recommended 8.

 

“Mother; I promise that I shall aim to rectify my sleep pattern, and reduce my number of ongoing projects.”

 

That didn’t seem to cheer Pepper at all. “Sweetheart, please talk normally. You don’t have to be so calculating all the time. You’re back on earth now; you’re home! I’m worried that you’ll be stuck talking like that forever.”

 

“And if I were to remain speaking in my current manner, you would deem it cause for concern? Simply because I am on Terra does not mean I am obligated to speak in the manner you wish me to.” Shrugging off her mother’s hands in annoyance, Rosalina turned to head out of the kitchen. “I shall be attending the conference whether or not you are obliged to agree with my doing so.” Pepper had moved to the doorway, blocking her exit. “If you will excuse me, mother, I have something which requires my immediate attention.”

 

“Yes you do; it’s right in front of you. You have to talk about this, Rosie. Sooner or later, you’ll have to settle back into life here.”

 

“I see no need for me to assimilate to Terran norms in order for my residence here to be accepted. There are many Vulcans who…”

 

 _“You aren’t Vulcan,_ Rosalina! You are human, and you should start acting like it!” The emotion in Pepper’s voice was almost tangible. “You’re scaring me, sweetie.”

 

“I do wish you would refrain from calling me that, mother…”

 

“Rosalina then; please just, try and understand.”

 

“I understand _perfectly_ , mother.” She was shouting now. “Have _you_ tried to understand? Considered the feelings _you_ would be experiencing had you lost the planet you consider to be home? I lived on Vulcan for _four years._ The friends I made are all _dead. I have nothing._ ” Hot tears of anger were now running down her face, Pepper looking increasingly frightened as her daughter’s steel barriers melted away before her eyes. “Have you perhaps considered that I do not want to be human? That I would prefer to be a Vulcan? At least at the Academy I was _recognised_ for all my endeavours, not just shut up in my room to _tinker!”_

 

Breathing heavily, Rosalina fought to regain control. She _really_ needed to go and meditate now, but her mother was still blocking the doorway. What she wanted right now was to be alone. Seeing the window at the other side of the kitchen, she glanced back at her mother. There was no other option. As Pepper approached, arms attempting to scoop her into a hug, Rosalina backed towards the kitchen island. The tears in her mother’s eyes would sufficiently blur her vision for the 1.45 seconds it would take to grab the phaser in the drawer behind her. Taking a deep breath, Rosalina clutched the weapon in her hand, firing it at the window to her right. The glass now weakened, she threw the gun back down as she dived through, shattering the glass. It was only when the wind was whipping through her hair that she realised; she had just jumped from the 90 th floor of the tower. And she wasn’t wearing her gauntlet.


	24. Chapter 24

What little air Rosalina managed to get into her lungs during her descent was quickly exhaled in the form of a piercing scream. Usually she wasn’t scared of falling from so high up because she had an escape-from-death plan, but she had helpfully left it lying on her bedside cabinet this morning. _Why_ had she done that? Spreading her limbs wide, she attempted to slow her descent. Knowing it would only buy her an extra fraction of a second, she tried shouting to JARVIS, but to no avail. She was going too fast; the sensors weren’t designed to pick up sound from outside the building anyway. Just as she was about to lose all hope of survival, Rosalina heard a familiar metallic sound. Looking to her right, she saw one of the mini bots she had been making falling next to her. The robot’s claw-like hands encircled her bicep, the sudden change of velocity dislocating her arm. Her scream of pain prompted it to drop her, another three bots rushing to secure her other limbs. With her left arm clutching her right in a vain attempt to dull the pain, Rosalina ended up suspended by her feet, the bots mechanical humming barely audible above the rushing air. She was getting close enough to the ground that she could almost count the number of onlookers now gathered at the bottom of Stark Tower. She was still going too fast. The sound of the bots above her straining to slow the drop was somewhat comforting, and gave her an idea.

 

“Barry, here bot!” Damn, that sounded pathetic. “Fetch!”

 

Luckily, it worked. A few moments later and the first of her creations swept into sight, bobbing with the added weight of the gauntlet. Grabbing it, she clamped it over her injured arm, prodding desperately at the controls. The sound of glass smashing signalled the arrival of one of the arm thrusters. Left, by the look of it. Shooing away the bots, Rosalina resumed her previous position, allowing the suit components to attach themselves to each of her respective limbs. Just as the faces of the crowd were becoming discernible, all four boosters activated, allowing for a relatively smooth landing. The bots now surrounded her, whizzing in circles as they scanned her for injuries. Whispers turned to chatter as the people around her realised she was alive.

 

“Does anyone here know how to re-locate a shoulder joint?” The crowd fell quiet. “I’ll take that as a no then. JARVIS?”

 

_“Yes ma’am. May I suggest you do not attempt to leap from the top of the tower again without prior consultation?”_

 

“You may.”

 

The suit assembled itself next to her, quickly popping her arm back into place. Grimacing from the pain, Rosalina gave her arm a few test swings before giving the signal for the suit to encase her. With the helmet secure, she set off, heading out of the city.

 

“JARVIS, deactivate tracking. Send a message to mother that I am safe, but I don’t want her mithering me. I need to be alone.”

 

_“Of course, Miss Stark.”_

 

She was now flying with no set destination in mind. After thinking for a few minutes, she set a course for one of her favourite places.

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting next to the suit, replicated cheeseburger in hand, Rosalina looked over the valley of the Grand Canyon. She had always loved how tranquil the place was, even now. With increased tourist traffic to the planet, it was surprising how places of outstanding natural beauty such as this were still so quiet. With the recent events on Vulcan, quite a lot of Terran-bound traffic halted whilst the Federation and Starfleet worked to ensure the safety of those on space-faring vessels. Until the investigation was over, most passenger craft didn’t want to risk long-haul travel. Absent mindedly stroking Barry, Rosalina watched the sun setting. Tapping the bot to activate him, she replicated herself a blanket and another burger, taking a big bite out of the latter. Quickly finishing it off, she decided to go for an evening flight down the Colorado river. The first time she had seen the rocky outcrops from this angle she had been seven, floating along on the boat Steve had rented. He had told her about how little it had changed over the years, recalling the tale of his first visit with Bucky. Rosalina had asked who Bucky was, but all she got in the way of a reply was a sad smile and a muttered ‘an old friend’ from the soldier. Even then, she had known not to press the subject, instead admiring the scenery as she was now. Flying with the faceplate up always left her face tingling, so she slid it shut. Seeing the time, she decided to head back to the rocky outcrop she would call home for the night.

 

Getting out of the suit, the night chill crept up on her. Wrapping herself in the blanket and a freshly replicated sleeping bag, Rosalina looked up to the stars. The light pollution she was used to didn’t reach the canyon, so she could see them all clearly. Steve had taught her their names; the constellations, planets, and stories of the first humans to explore space. It seemed strange to her that there was a time when humankind was restricted to this planet, with only each other for company. She didn’t really want to sleep, but eventually the heaviness of her eyelids got the better of her and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

The morning sun warmed Rosalina’s face as she lay on the rock, the whirring sound of the suit’s gears rousing her from sleep. Reluctantly opening her eyes, it was all she could do not to scream. That wasn’t the sun warming her face; it was the breath of a mountain lion. Glancing at the suit, it seemed as though she wasn’t getting any help. Clearly there wasn’t an ‘I’m about to be eaten by a mountain lion’ protocol in the system. It really was wishful thinking to hope there _was_ one. Thankfully the big cat wasn’t currently looking at her, so she started to shuffle out from under its nose. Upon hearing the rustling, the animal looked down at her, prompting the shuffling to stop. Damn, this sleeping bag was loud. Thinking quickly, Rosalina called out to Barry.

 

“Replicate a raw steak, extra-large.”  


The whirring of the bot distracted the lion long enough for Rosalina to extract herself from the sleeping bag. She didn’t have much time to back away before JARVIS’ tinny voice called out from the suit.

 

_“Incoming call; Tony Stark.”_

 

Great timing. “Reject.”

 

_“Command not accepted.”_

 

Damn. Well, it was worth a shot.

 

_“Rosalina?”_

 

“Hello father. Now really isn’t a good time…”

 

 _“What do you mean?”_ The low growling of the mountain lion served as her reply. _“Rose, what was that?”_

 

“A mountain lion, father.”

 

_“A MOUNTAIN LION?! Where the hell are you!”_

 

“The Grand Canyon; I’m perfectly fine, Barry just replicated it a steak.”

 

_“Who in God’s name is Barry? Is he your…”_

 

“It’s a robot. Little flying thing I’ve been working on recently, not a secret boyfriend.”

 

_“Ah, good. Good… Well, Pepper wants to say she’s sorry.”_

 

“Good for her.”

 

_“Rosie, look…”_

 

“No, I’m not speaking to her. Next topic.”

 

_“Alright. The plane leaves for London in an hour, so if you want to go you’ll have to swing by the airport.”_

 

“I shall set off as soon as we’re clear of the mountain lion.”

 

He sighed. _“Of course. I’m surprised you managed to run into one of those, if I’m honest; pretty rare nowadays. Anyway, see you shortly.”_

 

“Farewell.”

 

The call ended, leaving her free to deal with the animal before her. Now distracted by the steak it was tucking into, Rosalina signalled for the suit to meet her at the treeline. Tiptoeing backwards, she almost tripped over a rock, an involuntary squeal escaping her lips and alerting the cat. Its head turned, the fur around its mouth bloody from the steak. That replicator technology was pretty good, when she thought about it. Hearing the growl and seeing the muscles of the cat tighten, Rosalina decided to simply launch herself off the rock she had been seated on yesterday. The suit followed her, narrowly avoiding being pounced on by the mountain lion. Barry bobbed along happily as they made their narrow escape. As JARVIS plotted the route to New York’s last airport, she flew through the canyon in the glow of the sunrise. With the GPS calibrated, Rosalina grabbed Barry as they blasted through the sound barrier to their new destination.


	25. Chapter 25

Flying over the airport, Rosalina was ending an internal debate; suits or bots. The suit would be useful if she wanted to go anywhere, but the latter would be more discreet. She would need that element of surprise if she was going to successfully infiltrate Sector 31. Finally making her decision, she went in for landing. This was one of the few airports left in the US; the government’s taxation on modes of transport that used fossil fuels made it impossible for almost anyone to afford one. It had reduced greenhouse gas emissions to an all-time low, almost halting climate change, but ‘traditional’ vehicles were now a symbol of the elite. If Tony Stark hated one thing, it was being called a hypocrite, so all their family vehicles had been converted to run on the new technology. Clean energy, but with vintage finesse.

 

Once out of the suit, the signal for the bots went out. It would take a few minutes for them to arrive, so now she had to stall take-off; not too difficult, her father was easily distracted. Tapping her gauntlet to ‘order’ the belongings she wanted bringing, Rosalina sent the suit. The bots would only rumple her clothes, after all. Approaching the plane, she heard her father arguing with Rhodey.

 

“Tony, you know what she said.”

 

“Oh, come on Rhodey, she didn’t do anything wrong. In the grand scheme of things…”

 

“She _jumped out of a window_ , Tony.”

 

“A suitably dramatic exit, after the argument they’d had.”

 

“Yeah, I can see where she gets the dramatic flair. I don’t want to cross Pepper on this; she said Rose can’t go, and I don’t want to get in her bad books.”

 

“You’re scared of her!”

 

“No, Tony, I’m just…”

 

_“I am Colonel James Rhodes, and I’m scared of Pepper Potts.”_

 

“That’s not at all what I sound like.”

 

Rosalina was now close enough to see the cheeky smile spreading on her father’s face _. “I am Iron Patriot.”_

 

“If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times, it tested well with focus groups. And I didn’t make the final decision on that!”

 

Now seemed as good a time as any to interject. “Although amusing, your impression of the Colonel _is_ wildly inaccurate, father.” That earned Tony a smug grin from his old friend. “However, if you are unwilling to pilot the jet with me on board, Rhodes, I will gladly relieve you of your position and fly myself.”

 

Now it was Tony’s turn to grin, a chuckle grumbling in his throat, set free into a full guffaw by Rhodey’s glare. Rolling her eyes, Rosalina pushed her way through the pair and made her way to the plane, leaving the men to bicker. A quick tap on the gauntlet told her that her bags would be arriving in 61.5 seconds. Allowing herself a small smile, she looked down the steps to see her father still poking fun at his old friend. They had started moving towards the plane, albeit very slowly, and she could now hear Tony trying to convince his pilot buddy to let her tag along. Seeing the familiar dot of her suit on the skyline, she silently begged them to move a little faster. Someone would be ringing her mother by now, or Pepper had noticed the suit leaving. The suit landed at the bottom of the steps just as the men reached them, causing Tony to jump slightly.

 

“Well, it looks like you’re coming with us then.”

 

“Indeed I am, father.”

 

“Right then Rhodey, off we go!”

 

The slap Tony placed on his back almost knocked the Colonel off balance, forcing him to step forwards and up the steps of the plane. When he tried to turn back, Tony and the suit were blocking his way. With a sigh, Rhodes accepted his fate, making his way to the cockpit. Tony beamed as the suits signalled for him to go first, climbing the stairs with a mechanical whir after him. Kicking the steps away as the automatic doors slid shut, the suits turned towards Rosalina, Unit 3 opening up to reveal neatly folded clothes, which then tumbled onto the floor in a cascade of blacks. Her father laughed, making no effort to help her pick them up. The not-so-gentle hand of Unit 1 guided him towards the pile of items, looming over both father and daughter as each one was picked up and placed in the duffel bag Rosalina had also requested. The tinny voices of both suits spoke in unison as the plane moved towards the runway.

 

_“Mr and Doctor Stark; for your own safety, please take your seats.”_

 

“Okay… That’s creepy, JARVIS.”

 

Tony stood with his arms raised, backing towards the seats as Rosalina laughed. The AI must have done that on purpose; synchronicity had always freaked her father out. She and Spock had often spoken in a similar manner as children, just to scare him. Smiling at the memory, Rosalina took her own seat, fastening her seatbelt as the safety light blinked into life. As the plane rumbled down the tarmac, she realised that they had addressed her as Doctor Stark. That sent her on a new train of thought; would terran authorities recognise her Vulcan credentials if they hadn’t been officially released by the Academy? She considered the various options and diplomatic decisions that could logically be made by the Terran government, finally deciding as they touched down in London that, yes, they would be valid. As Rhodey pulled into their designated spot in the hangar and cut the engines, the dull roar of paparazzi could be heard. The Starks looked to one another as they rolled their eyes, the pilot laughing as he opened the door. A set of stairs was quickly rolled up and the three descended, Rosalina grabbing her own bag as she left the plane.

 

“Where are we actually staying, father?”

 

“The Hilton. We’ve bagged the penthouse suite and everything. Very exciting! Isn’t it, Rhodes?”

 

The other man simply shook his head in reply, the familiar look of Tony-induced distain falling over his features. Airport staff opened the double doors into the empty arrivals lounge, those carrying their bags quickly relieved of their load by the suits. Rosalina suspected that their presence sped their journey through the airport quite significantly. Within a minute they were out of the doors on the other side, a sea of reporters between them and their waiting transport. The flashing cameras made her head spin, images of Vulcan swirling in her mind, the sounds around her dulling. Somewhere in the chaos of her mind, the sensation of her father’s arms around her surfaced, the sound sharpening. After what felt like minutes, she snapped back into reality, hurriedly pushing her father away and tapping commands on her gauntlet. Throwing her bag to a now worried Colonel Rhodes, she launched herself in the general direction of the black suit, taking off into the sky. She had no idea what just happened, but the cameras caused it, so she was getting out of there. There was only one problem; she had absolutely no idea where she was, or where she was going.


	26. Chapter 26

Having suffered from panic attacks himself, Tony knew how to recognise them. The speed at which his daughter’s body had gone from stiff as a board to floppy was startling, even to him. The complete lack of concern or assistance from the paparazzi was angering, but he had to focus on Rosalina. Was she breathing? Yes. Fitting? No. Elevated heart rate, eyes not focussing; definitely a panic attack. When she did come round, it seemed like hours had passed. There wasn’t even enough time to ascertain as to whether she was alright before she jumped in the suit and flew off.

 

“Rhodes!”

 

“Go, man, I’ll catch up.”

 

Pushing through to the car, he waved the chauffeur away. Tony called for JARVIS to track Rosalina’s flight path and set off in the general direction she had flown. Once global positioning had calibrated, he sped after his daughter.

 

* * *

 

 

The click of Pepper’s heels on the hardwood floor of her office was starting to get irritating. After signing angrily to one another for 20 minutes, Clint decided it was _definitely_ Natasha’s job to see what was wrong. Hearing Pepper sigh after what must have been the fifteenth failed call, she entered the room. Not noticing her enter, Pepper threw her phone across the room in anger, almost hitting Natasha. Luckily the spy’s reflexes were sharp enough that she could catch it before it shattered a window, or her jaw.

 

“What have they done now, Pepper?”

 

“Rosalina jumped out of a window yesterday, and now she’s disappeared…”

 

Ah, yes. Would it be sensible to tell Pepper that she knew where she had gone? Deciding against it, Natasha tossed the phone onto an office chair and enveloped Pepper in an embrace. She wasn’t usually so touchy-feely, but she could recognise when Pepper needed emotional support. It was draining, being around the Starks.

 

“Has Tony gone to find her?”

 

Pepper scoffed. “Of course not; he said she’ll turn up eventually and not to bother! He’s going to London in a few hours for that conference thing. I’ve tried ringing her myself, but she won’t accept my calls, and Tony’s line is engaged...”

 

It was at that moment that Pepper started crying uncontrollably into Nat’s shoulder. Thinking for a moment, she considered whether to go and get Rosalina herself. She still had that jet Fury had given to her as part of their wager. He was stupid for denying that SHIELD would become nothing more than an Earth-bound police force. Staring out of the window, she patted Pepper’s back, the tears soaked through her shirt. She was about to try and say something comforting when she saw one of Rosalina’s suits flying away from the tower. She tensed in surprise for a millisecond before relaxing again, bringing her attention back to the crying woman clinging to her.

 

“Pepper… I know his isn’t terribly helpful, but Tony’s right. Rosalina has recently suffered the loss of her planet.” Pepper tensed and raised her tear-stained face to look her dead in the eye. “I know, she was born and raised on earth. I understand that. But she spent four years of her life on Vulcan. She dedicated countless others to getting herself there in the first place. If you keep trying to get her to open up, she’ll just keep it closer to herself. Trust me. Just give her time to work out what’s going on in her head. She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”

 

Pepper’s puffy eyes started watering again, a weak smile of thanks spreading on her lips. She wiped her eyes, sniffing as she made her way over to her chair. Sensing it was time for her to go, Natasha made her exit. Clint put his hand on her shoulder as she closed the door quietly behind herself. He followed when she walked to the elevator, pushing the button for his floor. Natasha headed straight for their weapons room, picking up one of the antiquated sniper rifles she knew he favoured, cleaning it. He sat on the table in front of her, hands gripping the edge either side of his knees.

 

“She got my shirt wet.”

 

_“Shut up, idiot.”_

 

“Alright spidey, no need to go all Russian on me.”

 

Quick as a flash, she slammed the butt of the gun into his abdomen. Grunting with the force of the blow, he grabbed the gun and pulled her towards him. With the gun now in his hands, he placed it next to him, gripping her to him.

 

“You’re always so violent.”

 

“You know I hate it when you call me that.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re cute when you’re angry.”

 

Glaring at him, she tried half-heartedly to wriggle out of his arms. Clint gripped her tighter. ‘So, you want to play?’ she thought, flashing him her murderous smile as she flipped him onto the floor. They sparred jovially for a few minutes, Natasha eventually giving up and allowing Clint to pin her to the floor. He smiled down at her, brushing stray locks of red hair off her face. The door suddenly opened to reveal Bruce, prompting them both to jump to their feet.

 

“Oh! Hi guys. Um, I was just wondering if it was okay to go up and see Pepper? Tony asked me to pass on a message…”

 

“I should imagine so, Bruce.”

 

“Okay, thanks. Sorry if I was interrupting…”

 

“Not at all.” Natasha smiled innocently.

 

The doctor nodded, retreating quickly. Clint called after him just before the door shut.

 

“Watch out for projectiles, Doc!”

 

That earned him a playful slap from Natasha. Lightly gripping her wrists, he pulled her towards him again, encasing her in his arms as he spoke softly in her mother tongue.

 

_“Your talk with Pepper got a bit personal. Are you alright?”_

_“Yes, asshole, I’m fine.”_

_“You’re not going soft on me, are you?”_

_“No. I want to protect Rosalina from her mother’s overprotective tendencies.”_

 

She felt Clint smile against her hair. _“Are you sure_ Pepper’s _the one being overprotective?”_

 

_“Well, we never had kids, so she’s the closest thing I’ve got to a daughter.”_

 

She realised immediately that she had said something wrong by the look of sheer shock on Clint’s face. He held her almost at arm’s length, staring at her.

 

“Did you just say what I think you just said?”

 

Natasha considered trying to get herself out of the following conversation. ‘Well. It’s started, so we may as well finish.’ Taking a deep breath, she answered. “Yes, I did. I said ‘we’, Clint.”

 

“Why did you…?”

 

“I don’t know. Slip of the tongue.”

 

“I never knew you… I always just assumed…”

 

“That I didn’t want kids?” A slow nod came in reply. “Well, I suppose so. After everything the Red Room did to me, everything they made me do, I didn’t want that to happen to them. To… my babies.”

 

The size of the room suddenly made her feel exposed; vulnerable. Kneeling down on the floor, she sat with her hands in her lap, staring at them. She clenched her eyes shut as Clint stroked the back of her hands with his thumb, not wanting to see his expression as she continued.

 

“To become the Black Widow, I had to kill the other girls. The competition, if you will. I had to commit atrocities just to survive. They taught me not to feel, to believe that they were the only ones who would care for me. That love was for children. Then you spared my life, and I’m still not sure why. I’m grateful for that, Clint; for that second chance. But I could never be normal, not after what they did to me.”

 

She felt him shift round to sit next to her, pulling her into a hug. Natasha rested her head on his chest, allowing the sensation of him stroking her hair to calm her. Reassure her that everything was okay. He was there. Feeling a tear well up, she automatically steeled herself.

 

“They operated on me, messed up my organs. I can’t have kids anyway, so I don’t know why I care so much…”

 

The gentle kiss on her head was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Allowing herself to relax into her partner’s embrace, Natasha remembered all the times she had fallen asleep like this on missions. How Clint always made her feel safe. They had silently told one another for years, communicating their feelings through the squeeze of a hand, a reassuring hug, a friendly slap. Allowing the tears to fall silently from her eyes, Nat nestled into Clint’s warmth.

 

_“I love you, asshole.”_

_“I love you too.”_


	27. Chapter 27

After flying around for a while, Rosalina decided to settle atop one of the towers of London’s iconic bridge. The suit’s visor up, she could take in the views around her without being disturbed. She knew her father was tracking her, but with traffic on the ground it would take him at least another hour to get to her current location, and another few to convince her to come down, in her current mood. Telling JARVIS to inform her when Tony was on the bridge, she settled down to watch the life below. Normal people, leading normal lives. She could see the Starfleet headquarters a few miles down the river, the roof of the Kelvin Memorial Archives further behind it. She stared for a few minutes, considering how she would get inside. If she was right, and that was where Admiral Marcus was keeping his secrets, she would have to find them. Taking the bots in would be far too suspicious, and obvious. What she needed was covert, stealthy. Blueprints of the building’s layout, to find any suspicious gaps or doorways. It was unlikely that she would find anything, but it was worth a shot. She had to distract herself from what had just happened.

 

_“Doctor Stark, might I enquire after your health?”_

 

“Is this you or father asking, J?”

 

_“Both, Doctor.”_

 

Rosalina pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head to quash the wave of emotion threatening to wash over her. Brief images of Vulcan’s destruction flashed before her eyes, quickening her breaths. Gripping the roof around her tightly, she battled to steady her breath, sending broken tiles tumbling into the river below. This wasn’t good. Where was her control? What had she and Nyota said to Spock? ‘You can’t meditate this away’. But now was not the time for a breakdown, she decided. Levelling her breaths and forcing back tears, she gulped.

 

“Tell father I am fine. I will meet him at the hotel; I have an errand to run first. Please can you drop me of on Savile Row, JARVIS?”

 

_“Of course, Doctor Stark.”_

 

“Enough with the ‘doctor’. Seriously. And don’t tell Dad where I’m going. Can you take the suit to the hotel when you’ve dropped me off?”

 

_“Certainly.”_

 

“Thanks J.”

 

She stood, wobbling slightly on the sloped roof. Taking off, she saw her father’s car rounding the corner, already stuck in the traffic going over the bridge. Allowing JARVIS to guide her, she looked at all the ancient buildings around her. She had to admit, London was amazing, architecturally speaking. When the visor opened, Rosalina found herself in a small park, looking up a busy street. Leaving the suit, she smoothed her clothes, JARVIS flying away. The shrubs had hidden her landing from those walking along the street, so she found it easy to blend into the crowd of business men and women, engrossed in their Comm-calls as they were. For a few minutes, all she did was watch, walking up the street slowly. Most of the shops she passed were terran tailors, selling the latest cut of suit. Her father had always travelled here on business trips to get a new suit; the replicated versions irritated him, with their mass produced feel. Many of the richer members of the Federation came and got custom suits, made in the traditional way with now-ancient methods. Rosalina was glancing at these shops when she was stopped dead in her tracks by a surprising sight.

 

Right in the middle of all the Terran suit purveyors was a Vulcan robe makers.

 

She walked towards it, almost in a trance. The disgruntled businessmen she almost bumped into were invisible as her eyes focussed on the intricate carvings on the shop’s woodwork. The IDIC philosophy, in Vulcan script, wove around the windows and doors, bringing back a wave of nostalgia and sadness. All the hustle and bustle of the street was drowned out by the quiet tinkling of the bell as the door clicked shut behind her, enveloping her in the heat of the shop. Rosalina looked around at the rolls of fabric lining the walls, arranged in colour order. They flowed from earthy browns, to deep greens and blues at the far end of the shop, leading her eyes towards the Vulcan loom in the back corner. Before she had chance to properly discern the face of the Vulcan operating it, another appeared in front of her, bowing slightly before standing with his hand raised in the ta’al. Rosalina returned the gesture solemnly, at a loss as to what to say. Luckily, the man before her broke the silence.

 

“Greetings. How may we assist you?”

 

‘An excellent question’ she thought. What had she come in here for? The fabric in her peripheral vision made her decision for her.

 

_“I require a garment for the clean energy conference.”_

 

If he was shocked by her use of Vulcan, he didn’t show it. _“Of course, madam. Would you prefer to select the style yourself?”_

 

_"Yes."_

 

A book was produced from behind the counter, and a style selected. Once Rosalina's choice of fabric had been narrowed down to a rich green and a golden paisley-like pattern, she was whisked into a dressing room. The elderly woman who had been working at the loom came in to take her measurements. She couldn't help but glance at the embroidery on the trim of her robes, spelling out two names. One would be her husband's, and the other her own. With a little deduction, Rosalina decided the woman before her was called T'Les. Before either woman had chance to speak, the male returned with the chosen fabrics, now cut to a more manageable size, and began draping them over a mannequin, as the woman adjusted it. His robes held only one name; Karatek. He took a step back, allowing T'Les to begin work.

 

_"We shall take payment now. This way."_

 

She followed him back into the main room and gave him her card, watching as he methodically pressed the register's keys. The silence was unexpectedly broken by his question.

 

"I trust you found your time at the VSA gratifying?"

 

She was shocked for a moment, wondering why he had suddenly switched to Standard, and why he was making small talk. That was unusual for Vulcans.

 

"I did, yes. How did you…"

 

"You are Rosalina Stark. Your departure from Earth, and your time on Vulcan, was well documented on the news."

 

"Ah, of course. Yes." She took her card from his extended hand. "I should have known they'd find me."

 

"The perseverance of Earth's 'paparazzi' is well known."

 

She couldn't help but smile slightly at his pronunciation of the word. The mild disgust in his voice was barely noticeable, but it was definitely there.

 

"You spent time with my cousin, T'Pau. She often spoke of your prowess in your chosen field of computing. Her loss has had a profound effect on our Grandmother."

 

Rosalina's mind suddenly flooded with memories of her friend; the meals they had shared, how her warm welcome had made her transition from Earth to Vulcan easier. Feeling the tears well up, she swallowed hard. She knew she had to say something but ironically her Standard vocabulary seemed far too primitive to express her true feelings, so she switched to Vulcan.  _"I grieve with thee."_

 

He gave a solemn nod as T'Les walked out of the adjoining room, picking up a spool of thread.

 

_"Your garment will be complete in 29 minutes. You may return then."_

 

Nodding as she made her retreat, she turned to wave at Karatek as she left the shop. He raised his hand in return, quickly moving to help his grandmother as the door closed quietly behind her. The London air now felt cold, prompting Rosalina to rub her arms a little. Seeing a coffee shop on the corner, she headed towards it, suddenly craving a pastry of some kind. Collecting her order of a black coffee and a croissant, she sat at a table by the window and checked her Comm. Six missed calls from her mother, two from her father. Sighing, she decided to give her father a quick update as her drink cooled. The worst he could do was join her.


	28. Chapter 28

Entering the conference hall, Rosalina fought to resist the urge to smooth her robes again. She knew they weren’t creased, but meeting Karatek had brought the extent to which her control had slipped to her attention. Terran customs had corrupted her Vulcan demeanour which she had so prided herself on, and she had to do something about it. Her father had set off a few hours earlier to help set up the Stark Industries stall, exhibiting the Arc Reactor technology’s capabilities. He would be busy with the huge meeting for most of the day; with representatives from all corners of the Federation, he couldn’t afford to miss it. Hence, the task of answering questions on the Arc Reactor technology had fallen to her. With the meeting starting in half an hour, she had to get to the stall quickly for handover. Weaving through the crowd, she quickly scanned the room for interesting exhibits, making a mental note of the lot numbers so she could get someone to go and ‘check out the competition’ later. She was genuinely interested in many of the alternative power sources available, having researched the few options available in the pre-Federation days. It amazed her how long it took the world’s governments to focus on the way they were destroying the environment, especially with the clean energy options available to them at the time. They might not have been brilliant, but they were certainly better than nothing.

 

Rosalina started to think that accepting the map offered to her upon entering the building might have been a good idea. She wasn’t exactly lost, but she certainly wasn’t getting to the Stark lot as quickly as she could have. If they had brought the biggest Reactor they had, she probably would have been able to see the blue glow emanating from it as soon as she came in. As it was, she had to focus on the back wall of the room, trying not to squint to see the feint blue shining up onto it. Deciding that it wasn’t just her eyes going funny, she quickened her pace as she approached the central lot. Sure enough, her father was there, enthusiastically talking to the Andorian ambassadors. She estimated that the meeting would be starting in 7 minutes, 4 of which he would have to spend travelling to the conference room. Checking her watch, she found it was actually 6 minutes. Her timekeeping skills were becoming lax.

 

“Father, your meeting begins in 6 minutes. I suggest you begin making your way there, as the hall is very crowded.”

 

“Ah, Rosalina, there you are! Yes, I’ll be going in a minute.” He turned back to the Andorians, their blue antenna waving in confusion. “I’ve got to be going, but my daughter will be able to fully explain the technology to you, and answer any questions you may have. I ought to be back in a few hours.”

 

Tony gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before heading off in the opposite direction to the meeting room. He turned on his heel with a smile when she coughed, rounding the corner as a group of Orion women were coming the other way. Narrowly avoiding a collision, he was finally on his way to the meeting. No doubt he would get distracted on the way and be late, but people knew to expect such things from Tony Stark. She highly suspected that the schedule they had been given factored in ‘dalliance’ time for him, in a vain attempt to make him arrive on time. Such efforts had been made before, but to little or no avail. Shrugging, she focussed her attention on the Andorians.

 

“It was apparent that my father had begun explanations of the technology. Was there anything in particular that you wish to know about?”

 

“Mr Stark was informing us of the benefits of the Arc Reactor over conventional Dilithium crystal-fuelled sources for powering starships.”

 

“Ah, yes. Where was he up to?”

 

The next five hours Rosalina spent explaining various points and benefits to representatives from all across the Federation, including those from some planets not yet made members. Tony returned just as some Jinrexian envoys came over to question her on how they had managed to stabilise the Dilithium used in some of the designs, fascinated by the way the Arc Reactor technology could be adapted to fit most known fuels. They began discussing their desire to use their planet’s plentiful Dilithium deposits to secure their membership of the Federation, with Tony chipping in advice and offering to help organise a summit to finalise details of their admission. After a flurry of thanks, the Starks were left alone for a few minutes, the break allowing them to get some lunch. Rhodes was waiting for them at a local café and had ordered for them. By the time they arrived, their food was on the way. Predictably, her father had a burger and fries, his staple diet, and Rhodes had the same, but didn’t pick off the salad. It was halfway through her own plate of chicken salad that she noticed the Kelvin Memorial Archives down the street. She stared at it absentmindedly as she ate, blanking out the conversation the two men were having. They fell silent, and when her attention returned to them they were looking at her, expecting an answer to an unheard question.

 

“I apologise, I wasn’t listening…”

 

“Typical kids,” Tony joked. “I was just saying that I would man the stall this afternoon, seeing as you were up all morning. Give you a chance to have a bit of a look around the Archives. It _was_ that that you were staring at, right?”

 

“Correct. Shall I meet you back at the conference centre?”

 

“No, you can just go back to the hotel if you want. Don’t be out too late.” Tony winked at her jovially as they settled the bill, Rhodes holding the door open for them as they stepped back onto the bustling London street. Waiting for the men to disappear round the corner, she hailed a cab, returning to the Hilton. Her current Vulcan attire would be far too conspicuous in a Starfleet building, even if it was only an archive. It was more the human ears that went with it that would draw attention. Her pixie cut hair wasn’t helpful for hiding them, though it was much less likely to get trapped in the helmet mechanisms of her suits. She had learnt the downsides of longer hair the hard way.

 

* * *

 

 

Walking through the doors in her borrowed Starfleet uniform, she had the scans from a cloaked bot on her Padd, tucked into the crook of her elbow. She had been roaming the archives for a few minutes, and had found what she thought to be an elevator shaft on one of the back walls. After waiting to see that the coast was clear, she had three minutes before the next clandestine security patrol passed by, disguised as cleaners. With a quick swipe, she sent the bot back to the hotel and whipped out the specially-programmed ID card she had borrowed from her father. It had needed modification, but she was fairly certain that it would work. At least 97.56% chance of success. Rosalina released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding when the card reader’s light turned green, opening the lift doors. She gave the walls a quick scan, spotting another reader next to the floor buttons. Swiping the card again, that light too went green, and her descent began.

 

It was only a few seconds later that the elevator came to a halt. The doors didn’t open, and all the lights went out. Over her mild panic, Rosalina heard the hiss of gas escaping from vents, and looking down she saw it. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her miniature air-purifier into her mouth, falling to the floor in what she hoped was a convincing faint. The car was in motion again. Her breaths shallow, she tried her best to avoid breathing through her nose. When the doors began to open, her eyes fluttered closed just enough that she could still see the computer panels in the room and the polished boots coming towards her. Strong arms encircled her waist as she was hoisted over a man’s shoulder, another taking the Padd off the floor of the elevator. She suppressed a smile at the thought of them trying to hack it, only to release her Trojan horse software into their own system. There are many ways of getting information from people, and she was well versed in most of them, thanks to her Aunt Natasha. She made a mental note of the amount of turns they took as they made their way down the corridor, being careful to keep her eyes mostly shut. There were labs, testing areas and huge storage hangars full of what looked like warheads and torpedoes, which confirmed her suspicions. So much for Starfleet’s role as ‘peacekeeping armada’ to the universe. Though, you could never be too careful with Klingons…

 

Suddenly, after a sharp left turn, she was being not-so-carefully placed on a chair. She noted that it was vaguely comfortable as the guards handcuffed her to it. Rarely was she chained to a cushioned chair. Now seemed a good a time as any to feign coming round, so she rolled her head and moaned slightly. As the guards made no move to knock her unconscious again, Rosalina assumed that whatever interrogation would be happening would start soon. Heavy footsteps came down the corridor and the door opened, the guards seeming to leave. The door slid almost inaudibly closed just as she straightened her head, blinking heavily as she took in her surroundings.

 

“Well well, Miss Stark. What a lovely surprise.” She heard the slight scrape of a Padd being lifted from a table. “Now, what on earth could you be doing here? I hope you haven’t come to steal any of our talent for Stark Industries.”

 

She vaguely recognised the voice, but when the speaker moved to her side of the room, she immediately recognised his face.

 

It was Admiral Marcus.


	29. Chapter 29

“What sort of talent would that be, Admiral? Stark Industries doesn’t tend to deal in weapons of mass destruction anymore.”

 

“I see you’ve been doing your research.” He rounded the desk, placing her Padd just out of arm’s reach as he took a seat. “So, what brings you to Sector 31?”

 

“I was merely confirming my suspicions of its existence.”

 

“What alerted you to its existence in the first place?”

 

“Your interest in Red Matter. Or more likely, its destructive properties.”

 

He laughed slightly. “My goodness, you’re on a warpath.” He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, with a suddenly austere look on his face. “Well, Miss Stark, so am I. The threats to Earth have increased exponentially since the attack on Vulcan, and I intend to protect our planet from any and all attacks. If that were to mean destroying an entire planet, then so be it. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, Stark; kill or be killed. This false sense of security the Federation has led us into over the last few decades has left us vulnerable. That is something we here are trying to rectify.”

 

Now she was thoroughly confused. “Why are you telling me all this?”

 

“Do you have to ask, Miss Stark? A mind as brilliant as yours would do wonders for my little project. Would speed us up a lot, that’s for sure. Besides, you seemed pretty determined to find out all you could about it. Why not learn from the inside?”

 

Her confused glare focussed on him like a laser as he stood, rounding the desk to sit in front of her. “You’re crazy to think I’d ever consider working with you.”

 

“Really, Miss Stark? Besides, you now have a dilemma. You know too much for me to let you go, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll cooperate…”

 

“Spoiler alert, I’m not planning on doing.”

 

“…don’t interrupt. You can’t go out there and expose me without jeopardising your own freedom…”

 

“I don’t care about that if I’m saving lives from your crazy ass.”

 

“Again with the interruptions; you are very rude, madam.” Suddenly, he was a hair’s breadth away, with a phaser stuck in her ribs. “Now, I give you a choice. As I have no intention of being imprisoned for trying to conserve my planet’s existence, you have two options. Either you accept my job offer, or everyone you love dies.” He was back against the desk, holstering his weapon. “That includes the commander and his parents, for the record. Your precious Avengers would easily be summoned and killed, if the orders went through the right channels. If you have any doubts, I could have your father shot right now.”

 

The image of her father came up on a screen; an aerial view from straight down a sniper rifle. The Admiral must have seen her flinch.

 

“I will give you 24 hours to decide. Needless to say, if you discuss this with anyone, they will be summarily executed. Have a nice evening.”

 

With that he was gone, a rag soaked in chloroform pressed over her mouth. She felt her wrists release from the handcuffs as she drifted out of consciousness.

 

* * *

 

 

Waking with a start, she sat up. Her head was throbbing in pain, the light drifting in through the curtained window blinding. Looking to the clock beside her bed, she saw it was nearly noon. A sudden thought crossed her mind; how had she got back to the hotel room? Her mind came up blank as Colonel Rhodes entered the room, a cup of tea in hand.

 

“Ah, so you’re alive then? Next time you plan on going out drinking, at least give me some warning first.” He handed her the steaming mug, placing his hand across her forehead. “Damn, you’re running quite the temperature there girl! I was worried sick about you. Don’t worry, your Uncle Rhodey’s got you covered. We’ve got enough Vulcan tea here to fill a swimming pool, so when you need another glass, give me a shout. Okay?”

 

She gave an affirmative nod, the sudden motion only worsening her splitting headache. Nursing her cranium in one hand, she lifted the tea to her lips with the other. The aromatic spices alleviated a little of the pain as she inhaled the vapours, taking a few tentative sips. The more she drank, the better she felt, and she had soon consumed three steaming mugs of the tea. By the time Tony returned to the penthouse a few hours later, she was mostly recovered. A wink from Rhodes confirmed that her ‘secret’ was safe with him. The sight of her father reminded her of the afternoon’s events, sending her across the room to crush him in a hug.

 

“Woah, okay kiddo! A man needs to breathe.”

 

Stepping away, she caught Rhodey’s concerned expression in her peripheral vision. She looked into her father’s eyes and thought- what would she ever do without him? And her mother, how would she manage without her? As annoying as they could be at times, she needed her parents more than she cared to admit. Rosalina remembered all the times Pepper had helped her with an assignment when Tony was away on business, and the projects she and him had completed together over the years. Everything she had learnt about engineering and computing was from him, before the VSA. All the traits that made her who she was she could trace back to her parents, noticing for the first time just how much she had inherited from them. Her sheer determination, confidence, even the borderline narcissism…

 

And Spock; the Admiral had threatened him too. Would that extend to Nyota? No, how could Marcus know about her? But what if he did? The risk was way too high. There was no way she could refuse this job, even if it went against everything she believed in. Surely, if she got the others into police protection, had S.H.I.E.L.D guarding them, there would be no way he could possibly hurt them then. Was there?

 

“What’s wrong, Rose? That staring is worrying me.”

 

Her father’s voice snapped her attention back to the present, and the two concerned faces staring at her. Throwing caution somewhat to the wind, Rosalina made her decision.

 

“Dad, can you set up a video call with mum, please? There’s something I need to tell you guys.”

 

“Alright…” Tony moved to the console in the corner of the room, pausing midway through typing Pepper’s number to look back at his daughter. “Please tell me you aren’t pregnant.”

 

“What?! Why the hell would you think that was what I’m about to tell you?”

 

“I don’t know, just checking.”

 

As he finished typing, Rosalina looked at the Colonel with a mix of uncertainty and disgust. He merely shrugged in return, backing out of the room as the call connected.

 

“Hey, Tony! How’s everything going? Is Rosie okay?”

 

“Yes, mother, I am perfectly well.” She walked into view of the camera. “I have some news I wish to share with you.”

 

“Oh. Well, that’s nice, sweetheart. What is it?”

 

Tony turned in his seat to face her. It was strange, having the two of them stare at her like that. Her mother was on a completely different continent, and the view out of the window behind her showed it to be midday. Her face digital, his real… she pondered on the strangeness of it all. Then her father coughed.

 

“Yes, sorry. Umm…” Rosalina shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it. “I got offered a job this afternoon.”

 

“Oh, that’s wonderful dear! Isn’t it, Tony?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. That’s great. Where is it?”

 

“At the Kelvin Archives…”

 

“Wait, it’s here? In London? I didn’t know you’d been applying for positions here, darling…”

 

“I haven’t really been applying for jobs anywhere. This just sort of… came up.”

 

Her father looked sceptical. “Who gave you this offer?”

 

“Admiral Marcus. I met him at the Archive, and he said I should work for him. It’s the kind of offer you can’t really refuse.”

 

She plastered a fake smile onto her face for the rest of the call, accepting her parent’s congratulations without really hearing them. She was so consumed in her own thoughts that she barely noticed when the image on the screen changed to that of the S’chn T’gai family, sat on the sofa of one of the Stark Tower apartments. When Amanda called Spock in, Nyota followed, and Rosalina’s expression became one of determination. These people on the screen were like family to her. They cared for her, and she for them, and there was no way she’d let them get hurt. She would have to try and take Marcus down from the inside. A nod to Spock let him know; everything is under control, no need to worry.

 

Everything would be fine.


	30. Chapter 30

There was a car waiting outside the hotel for her the next morning. Giving a quick explanation to her father, she slid onto the back seat, opposite the Admiral. As the car pulled out onto the busying road, he spoke.

 

“So, Miss Stark…”

 

“It’s Doctor, actually.”

 

“I see. Your manners haven’t improved since yesterday. We will have to work on that. I trust you have made your decision?”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“And…?”

 

“I accept your most… gracious offer, Admiral.” her facial muscles almost strained with a barely contained grimace as she spoke.

 

“Excellent. I am very glad to welcome you on board our little project. Obviously you will have to sign some confidentiality agreements. It’s always nice to get things on paper, isn’t it?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Careful there dear, your Vulcan is showing.” He glanced down at her robes, the hint of disgust in his gaze blatantly obvious. “I will give you a few months to settle your affairs, say your goodbyes, etcetera. You will receive the paperwork upon your return to New York.”

 

The car pulled up at the side of a street she did not recognise, the door opened by the same chauffeur that had let her into the vehicle.

 

“Until we meet again, Doctor Stark.”

 

Taking her cue, she stepped onto the pavement, waiting until the car had pulled away to glance around. She had no idea where she was, that much was certain. She couldn’t ask for directions; that would be admitting defeat. Accepting her fate, Rosalina decided to depend solely on her skills of deduction, which had sadly been neglected since Vulcan’s destruction. After a few moments of internal deliberation, she set off down the street.

 

* * *

 

 

Three hours later, and Rosalina was still lost. She had realised too late that her internal solar compass was still set to New York, and she had no idea how to alter it to London’s streets. Sighing in defeat, she walked into the nearest pub and sat down at the bar. She ordered a glass of wine before pulling out her Comm and calling her father.

 

“Ah, Rosalina! Where are you now, sweetheart?”

 

“I got dropped off a while ago and went for a walk. I thought you may like to join me for a celebratory drink.”

 

“Of course I would! Where are you?”

 

“Oh, in a pub. It’s called…”

 

“Rose and crown,” the bartender smiled as he passed her her drink.

 

“The Rose and Crown.” She smiled back in thanks as she took a sip of the cool rosé. The taste wasn’t as abhorrent as she had expected.

 

“You, in a pub? My goodness, this is a surprise…”

 

“I’m taking a leaf out of your book, father. I even ordered a glass of wine.”

 

“Wow, very adventurous! Rhodes and I will flag down a taxi, be with you in a few. Try not to get too drunk before I get there.”

 

“I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, dad. See you soon.”

 

After ending the call and taking another sip of wine, Rosalina turned on her stool to observe the room. It was relatively busy for 1104 in the morning. Well, what was it her mother always said when Tony teased her about drinking after a difficult morning meeting? ‘It’s after 9 o’clock, so it’s okay.’ A strange reasoning, but she supposed there was some logic to it. The patrons were sat in small groups around round wooden tables, on stools similar to her own. There were very few holograms in the room, if any, which she found strange. She saw movement in her peripheral vision and turned round to see the bartender stood at her end of the bar, wiping a glass with a towel. Yet another oddity.

 

“So then, young lady; what brings you to our humble establishment?”

 

“If I am perfectly honest, I got a little lost. I decided that rather than wait in the street, it would be more enjoyable to await my father’s arrival somewhere warm, and with a ready supply of beverages. Also, he has an uncanny ability to find such places.”

 

“I see…”

 

They lapsed back into an awkward silence, Rosalina sipping her wine again. Seeing him begin to clean another glass, she decided to question the man. It would certainly help pass the time, if nothing else.

 

“Excuse me for asking, but why are you cleaning the glasses manually?”

 

“This is a traditional English pub, miss. None of that sonics nonsense here; the water bills are pretty high, but our clientele appreciate the authenticity of it all.”

 

“Ah, yes. The lack of holograms is certainly welcome. Prolonged exposure to them gives me migraines. I don’t tend to frequent such establishments as this for that very reason.”

 

“See miss, analogue is better in some ways! Oh, excuse me while I serve these gentlemen.”

 

“Of course.”

 

She turned to face the door, looking past the customers to see her father and the colonel stepping out of a taxi. Waving her arm in greeting, she raised her wine with the other, swishing it slightly. Tony laughed as he walked through the door, heading straight to her. They sat on either side of her, the scraping of the stools on the floor further disturbing the quiet serenity of the room.

 

“Dear me, father. Perhaps you ought to be a little louder; I’m not sure anyone noticed you came in.”

 

“Cheeky. I’ll chalk it down to the obviously crazy amount of alcohol you’ve been consuming.”

 

“This is my first glass.”

 

“You’re not even half way through it! Lightweight…”

 

“Father, please.”

 

“Can I get you two gentlemen a drink?”

 

Tony almost fell of his stool as he enthusiastically span to look at the bartender. Rhodey’s far more subdued change in position was accentuated with his customary head-shaking, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

“Would I? My dear man, I would love one. Have any Budweiser classics back there?”

 

“Indeed I do. And for you, sir?”

 

“The same, thanks.”

 

The man nodded as he pulled two bottles from the cooling unit below the bar, deftly removing the caps with his bare hands. His amusement at Tony’s awe-filled expression made Rosalina break out in a smile of her own.

 

“How on earth did you do that?”

 

“Years of practice, sir. Want a few pointers?”

 

“Damn right!”

 

The pair spent the next half an hour practicing, leaving Rosalina to speak with the Colonel about her new job. She didn’t really have many details, so she vaguely described it as a research and development post. Their conversation was interrupted by Tony’s triumphant cry.

 

“Look, Rhodes! I did it!”

 

“And how many tries did it take?”

 

“Only a couple…”

 

_“It was 23, sir.”_

 

“JARVIS! Honestly, I feel betrayed. And here I was thinking we were friends…”

 

_“I was merely informing Colonel Rhodes of the truth, sir. It was an admirable effort on your part.”_

 

“Oh, don’t you try sweet talking me! Any more tricks like that and I’m putting you on silent.”

 

_“If I may advise you against doing so, sir. I will be unable to inform you of your speech at the conference this afternoon if you do.”_

 

“I have Rosalina for that. And I’ve had enough of your sass. Right,” dramatically pulling his Comm from his pocket, Tony stabbed at a few keys before sighing, passing the device to his daughter. “Here, you do it.”

 

“Can you not remember how, father? How unfortunate. You had us all convinced that you are some sort of tech genius…”

 

“Shame I can’t put you on silent.”

 

“How rude!” She smiled, tapping the keys to quieten JARVIS. “I apologise, J. You know how father is when he gets in a mood.”

 

_“I will forgive you, Miss Stark.”_

 

She passed the Comm back to Tony, who quickly pocketed it before taking a dramatic swig of his beer. Rhodes joined the conversation between Tony and the bartender, Rosalina left sipping her wine as she listened in. She would miss this camaraderie between her family and friends. Once she moved to London in a few months’ time, she would be alone in a strange environment again. Well, her move to Vulcan had been similar, so logically she would be able to manage. From her limited experience with the staff at the research facility, it looked highly unlikely that she would make any friends there. Calculating the exact percentages would just depress her further, so she decided against it. Instead, she focussed on her father’s laugh, Rhodey’s groan of annoyance, and the comfort of knowing she still had a few months in New York.

 

‘Yes. Focus on the good, not the bad’ she told herself. ‘There will be plenty of time for that later…’


End file.
